


The Amulet of Heart

by t_dragon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Egypt, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Archaeology, Assassination Attempt(s), Female Lee Taemin, Implied Kim Jongin/Lee Taemin, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-16 05:16:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 33,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13629381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon
Summary: Ticket #147: Kyungsoo is an archaeologist that discovers a new burial ground for an unnamed pharaoh (Kai) and is transported back in time where he falls in love.





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Ticket No. 147  
> Time Period: Ancient Egypt (~Middle Kingdom)
> 
> Author's Note: Ah, yes, the problematic prompt 147... Ever since I laid my eyes on it, I wanted it, and started to build the story up in my mind. Then all the drama went down, and I despaired as I thought I might be unable to claim it... But I managed to, and here I am, with my story! As a side-note; I've never read the story that might have inspired this prompt, and I decided not to, to make sure I wasn't accidentally inspired by it. So I really have no idea if this gets too close to the other story or not, but I hope not, and please do believe me when I say that any likeness is completely coincidental! Also, I'm obviously not an archaeologist, and I have no idea how the process really works. I googled a little bit, but I also used my 'fiction writer' card, so... Be kind to me?  
> A big thank you to my lovelies P and N, for helping me and cheering me on! This would probably have been an even bigger mess without you guys, I love you!

 Outside, the sun was shining warmly, but inside of the semi-dark office, the atmosphere was chilly and quite depressing.

 Do Kyungsoo was sitting behind his mahogany desk, papers scattered in front of him - papers he was supposed to grade, but they could not hold his interest for long.

 With a groan, he threw his glasses down on top of the pile, rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the headache creeping upon him. It did not do much to help, though, and he knew that it would not ease up until he got out of the slump he had gotten into.

 The thing was that the slump he had gotten into had lasted for at least six months by now, and it had slowly gotten closer during the last year, at the very least. Something was missing from his life, and Kyungsoo did not know what to do about it.

 He was quite happy with his quiet life, working as a professor in archaeology at a university and helping people discover the passion he had once found. Even if the job was not the most well-paid, it was stable and a way for him to do what he loved - in a slightly altered way, of course. Having a PhD in archaeology meant that Kyungsoo loved actually excavating and digging up things from past civilizations, but teaching about it was good enough for him. At least for now.

 Unconsciously, Kyungsoo’s eyes wandered over to the little trinket sitting on one of the shelves in one of his many overflowing bookcases. It was small and seemingly worthless, a little chipped and not looking like much to the world, but to Kyungsoo, it was a promise of so much more.

 He had found the trinket years ago, in his youth (not that he was not young anymore, but he certainly felt that he was getting closer and closer to being middle aged), and had immediately realized that this might be the key to something grand. He had felt it in his very soul, no matter how silly that sounded. But sometimes you just got a feeling about things, and Kyungsoo had definitely gotten a feeling about this trinket.

 Rising from his leather chair, Kyungsoo walked over to the bookcase and stood in front of it, arms crossed, as he studied the little trinket. It was a small amulet of heart, worn by both time and having been held precious, and made out of moonstone - which was quite unusual.

 Now, the fact that Kyungsoo even had the amulet in his office was something quite unusual. He should have handed it over as soon as he found it, but somehow he had found himself being unable to let go of it, and had smuggled it with him back to South Korea, where it rarely left his sight in the beginning. When he got his own office, he simply moved it there, knowing it would be safe and he would be able to watch over it. Why he would need to watch over the trinket was a pretty good question, but Kyungsoo kind of feared looking too deeply into his reasons, and simply did not do that instead.

 But, after all, it was an amulet of heart, which held quite the high meaning in Ancient Egypt, and Kyungsoo on some level felt that he was the guardian of the heart of some unknown Egyptian. It might seem silly, and he found himself silly at times, but one could not deny the things you felt. Not always, at least.

 Drifting out of his daydreams, Kyungsoo found himself standing still in front of the bookcase, but this time with the amulet in his hand, his thumb slowly caressing the smooth surface. It felt almost warm under his touch, too warm from having been just from his heat penetrating it through his touch and warming it up, and it scared him at the same time as it comforted him.

 Indeed, Kyungsoo had a mysterious relationship with this little trinket.

 Putting it down on the shelf again, Kyungsoo turned and walked back to his desk, dragging a hand through his hair as he normally did when feeling agitated. He had been feeling it a lot lately, and he was sure that he would go bald before he reached thirty-five if he kept this up - which, depressingly, was not that far away.

 Collapsing into his chair with a sigh, Kyungsoo picked his glasses back up, and tried to get back to work.

 But as the hours dragged on, Kyungsoo found his eyes wandering more and more often over to that specific shelf, and that specific item lying on top of it. As if it wanted him something - wanted to tell him something, or show him something.

 When only the last rays of sunlight illuminated his office, Kyungsoo once more got up from his chair and walked over to the bookcase, this time picking the trinket up and taking it with him as he went back and sat down again. Slowly spinning back and forth, he observed the amulet, fingers tracing it, his mind for once turning silent. And as a cold ray of light hit the moonstone, making it shimmer in an ethereal kind of way, Kyungsoo had his mind made up.

 He knew what he had to do. And he knew he had to do it now.

 Taking out his cellphone, Kyungsoo dialed the number he almost knew better than his mother’s, and held it up to his ear, the call being answered almost immediately.

 “Hello stranger, are you feeling up for an adventure?”

 

*

 

 Kyungsoo was standing in the airport with his assistant, going through their many bags and taking inventory to make sure they had everything, when something collided with his back and almost sent him face-planting against the floor. Arms wrapped themselves around his neck, to the point of almost choking him, and Kyungsoo knew that either someone was trying to kill him, or his friend had finally arrived.

 “You’ve lost some muscles since last time, Soo, is the teacher life making you go soft?” someone snickered in his ear, and Kyungsoo placed a well-aimed elbow in the ribs of the man behind him, ending the forced hug.

 Turning around, Kyungsoo looked down at the bent-over Byun Baekhyun, a pained smile on the other man’s face.

 “Doesn’t matter if I’m becoming weaker, I still know all the painful points,” Kyungsoo answered, grinning as he patted Baekhyun’s back. “Nice to see you again, you’re looking unusually pale. I thought you were traveling around?”

 Standing up straight again, Baekhyun pulled Kyungsoo into a proper hug this time, squeezing the man a tad too hard, but Kyungsoo was quite used to Baekhyun by now. They had known each other for almost ten years, after all.

 “I was, but then I somehow ended up in England, and you know what English summers are like,” Baekhyun said with a small sigh as he let go of Kyungsoo. “Holy shit, who is this tall man?”

 Kyungsoo glanced backwards, noticing his assistant staring at them with eyes larger than normal - and that was saying something, since the young man had incredibly large eyes normally, almost rivalling Kyungsoo’s own pair.

 “This is my assistant, Park Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo introduced the man, and Baekhyun held out a hand towards him, smiling charmingly.

 “Well, nice to meet you, assistant Park Chanyeol. I’m Byu-”

 “Byun Baekhyun, yes, I know,” Chanyeol interrupted, enveloping Baekhyun’s rather small hand with both of his own large ones and vigorously shaking it. “Oh my god, sir, it’s such an honor to finally meet you like this and being able to talk to you, I’m a big admirer of your work! I still remember the three times you were a guest lecturer during my classes, and it was so captivating! You and Prof really helped me discover what an amazing field archaeology is-”

 “Deep breaths, Chanyeol, deep breaths,” Kyungsoo said as he patted the taller on the shoulder, making the younger shut up and take a few well-needed breaths as he had barely taken a single one during his monologue.

 “Wow, I don’t know what to say, I’m truly flattered!” Baekhyun grinned, before giving Chanyeol a wink. “If all students were like you, I wouldn’t mind settling down like Soo did.”

 Chanyeol’s cheeks and ear tips turned red as Kyungsoo snorted, picking his backpack up from the floor and slinging it over his shoulder.

 “Please don’t harass my student, Baek, he’s younger than you,” Kyungsoo said in a stern tone as he took the lead.

 “How old are you?” Baekhyun asked, turning towards Chanyeol who had seemingly calmed down a little bit, only a light pink now dusting his features.

 “Uhm, twenty-five, sir,” Chanyeol answered, deep voice sounding quite small.

 Baekhyun turned back to Kyungsoo, slapping his shoulder.

 “Five years, that’s nothing at all! At least he’s not jailbait! And it’s not even unethical, he’s your student and assistant, not mine.”

 Chanyeol seemed to choke on air as Kyungsoo burst out laughing, shaking his head.

 “Still, though, he is my assistant, and I would prefer to have him in a condition good enough to help out, and even more preferably, not running for the hills,” Kyungsoo said. “Restrain yourself!”

 “Aish, so boring,” Baekhyun said, giving a small pout, before glancing over at Chanyeol. “Ah, are you okay, Chanyeol? You look a bit faint?”

 “I’m fine,” Chanyeol piped up, giving a half-smile and actually looking kind of pale.

 “Don’t worry, we’re just messing with you,” Baekhyun grinned, giving the taller’s back a pat. “Tell us if our jokes get too much for you, though, and we’ll stop. We really don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 Chanyeol just gave a nod at this, and Kyungsoo sincerely hoped the poor man would not be on the next plane home. He found the younger to have a true passion for archaeology, maybe even it being a calling, and he reminded Kyungsoo of himself and Baekhyun when they were in the position Chanyeol was in right now. To have that destroyed because of a few unappreciated jokes was not worth it.

 It took them some time to reach the small resort they would be staying at, since Kyungsoo wanted to get as close as possible to where they would start their treasure hunt, but Baekhyun had a lot of tales to tell of his travels, and did not let the two other men grow bored. An hour or so into it, Chanyeol began to ease up, and after that it did not take long before he was laughing along loudly, slapping his thighs and the seat in front of him. It was quite charming, and Kyungsoo found himself enjoying how his assistant opened up. It seemed like he would fit right in with them, thankfully.

 Arriving at the resort, they quickly checked in and headed to the little cabin they would be sharing. It came with three rooms, one for each, and both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were used to sharing cramped spaces, but Kyungsoo sincerely hoped that Chanyeol would not find it too horrible. The younger had claimed that he would not have a problem with it, but considering the traumatic experience he had already been through, it might have changed.

 “You go take a shower, assistant Chanyeol,” Baekhyun hummed as they had gotten all the luggage inside and decided on the rooms. “I know that the flight from South Korea to Egypt is quite straining, and I’m guessing you’re not that used to it.”

 “You sure?” Chanyeol asked, glancing between Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

 “Yeah, we’ll unpack, it’s not that fun anyway,” Kyungsoo agreed, offering the taller a smile.

 Chanyeol scratched the back of his neck, nodding, before disappearing into his room to fetch his stuff and head into the shared bathroom.

 “So, what are his qualifications?” Baekhyun mumbled as they heard the water being turned on. “Insanely good looks, yummy long legs?”

 Kyungsoo stopped in his unpacking to straighten up and send Baekhyun a blank stare, pursing his lips.

 “What?” Baekhyun said, shrugging. “It’s true?”

 “I’m not basing my choice of assistant on looks, Baekhyun. I told the students studying for their masters that I would be conducting an archaeological dig, asked whoever was interested in joining to sign up, and Chanyeol was one of them. One of the three, actually. I know them all pretty well, but Chanyeol is the only one of them that has that certain… spark, I guess. I recognized myself in him, and you, so I thought we might all get along pretty well. Would you please keep your pants on? I know it’s probably been long since you got some action, but I would rather not have you break his heart whilst stranded in the desert.”

 Baekhyun gave a snort, crossing his arms over his chest. “Been long since I got some action, yeah right! Just because it’s been a long time since for your dusty old ass, it doesn’t mean the same applies to me!”

 “Sure. You forget that I’ve known you for a long time, and I can see that you’re lying,” Kyungsoo chuckled, before turning serious again. “But really, Baek, don’t play around with him. He’s a really good guy, and doesn’t deserve that.”

 “Who says I would play around with him?” Baekhyun muttered, getting back to the unpacking, and sensing it was the end of the discussion, Kyungsoo did the same.

 They were almost done when they heard the shower being turned off, and both turned their heads on instinct when the door opened. Out stepped Chanyeol, with only a towel wrapped around his hips and wet hair dripping water down his exposed upper body.

 A very well-defined upper body.

 Finding his peers shamelessly staring at him, Chanyeol realized just what kind of position he was in, and his whole face and ears turned such a deep shade of red that Kyungsoo got a bit worried. Trying to cover himself with his hands, Chanyeol began to scoot towards his room, profusely apologizing and stumbling over his words.

 As the door was slammed close, Baekhyun let out an appreciative whistle.

 “You sure you didn’t hire him for his body?” he asked, and Kyungsoo snorted.

 “I’ve never seen him without clothes on, idiot, so yeah, I’m sure. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not taking advantage of my students. Maybe it’s a good thing that you’re not a professor after all.”

 Baekhyun let out a scandalized gasp at that, but then burst out laughing, making Kyungsoo’s lips tug in a smile.

 He had missed his strange friend, that was for sure.

 

*

 

 As the sun rose the next morning, so did Kyungsoo as well. He had been so excited to get out and start searching that he had even woken up before his alarm, feeling energized and amazing even after just a few hours of sleep combined with jetlag.

 After getting dressed, he almost sprinted over to Baekhyun’s room and flung the door open, knowing much more would be needed to wake the dark-haired man.

 “Byun Baekhyun, time to rise and shine!” Kyungsoo sing-sang as he skipped over to the bed and jumped on top of it, earning himself a few groans and whines. “I’ll give you five minutes, then I’m coming back, and you know I will tickle you.”

 Muttering, Baekhyun pulled the cover up over his head and rolled into a small ball, and Kyungsoo snickered as he walked out of the room and headed towards Chanyeol’s. Baekhyun had not changed much since his early twenties.

 Instead of slamming the door open, Kyungsoo carefully opened it and peered inside of Chanyeol’s room. The giant was sprawled on his stomach on the bed, one foot hanging over the edge.

 “Chanyeol? It’s time to wake up,” Kyungsoo gently called into the room, but Chanyeol still jolted, holding his head up and blinking as he looked around. “Breakfast is in five minutes!”

 Chanyeol mumbled something before his head once more connected with his pillow, and Kyungsoo internally sighed as he wondered if he would have to deal with two hard-woken men during the duration of this all. He sincerely hoped not.

 A few minutes later, as Kyungsoo was standing cooking breakfast, he heard someone shuffle towards him and turned around to see Chanyeol stumble over. The man’s hair was all over the place, and the glasses on top of his nose only made him look even younger than he was. Which was quite the feat, considering how tall he was.

 “Good morning!” Kyungsoo said in a cheerful voice, all smiles, as Chanyeol collapsed down into a chair by the kitchen table.

 “Mornin’,” Chanyeol mumbled, before giving a big jawn and leaning back to stretch.

 Kyungsoo winced slightly over how the younger’s bones cracked, and found himself thinking that maybe being short was not as bad after all. His joints seemed to fare better than Chanyeol’s.

 “Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo barked in the direction of the other man’s room. “Get your butt out of bed, now! I might send Chanyeol to tickle you otherwise, and you know he’ll be harder to overpower!”

 Chanyeol, who had jerked at Kyungsoo’s yelling, looked slightly worried by Kyungsoo’s suggestion, but Kyungsoo quickly reassured him with a ‘Kidding, don’t worry!’. And like Kyungsoo had known, footsteps were soon heard and Baekhyun came stumbling out of his bedroom.

 Dressed in only a very oversized shirt and his boxers, thighs all exposed, as well as a shoulder as the neck of the shirt was too large on him.

 If Chanyeol had been sleepy before, he was completely awake now, staring at Baekhyun as his face once more turned red. Poor boy definitely did not have an easy time with Baekhyun.

 “Oh, but for the love of everything, put on a pair of pants!” Kyungsoo growled as Baekhyun entered the kitchen. The other pouted, but thankfully did as told. Kyungsoo doubted Chanyeol’s heart would have been able to take much more.

 But as Kyungsoo looked over at Chanyeol, he saw something that made him frown. He saw how the taller’s eyes lingered on Baekhyun’s retreating form, and there was something in them that Kyungsoo recognized…

 For the second time that morning, Kyungsoo gave an internal sigh. It seemed like he would have to have a talk with his assistant.

 Breakfast went past without too much trouble, Baekhyun being properly dressed and Chanyeol having calmed down. They made a sort-of plan for the day, and Baekhyun went to shower.

 Kyungsoo waited until the shower was running before he turned to Chanyeol and pinned him with a hard stare. Said man slumped down a bit in his seat, worry furrowing his brow.

 “Chanyeol, I’m sorry about being this straight-forwards, but are you gay?”

 Chanyeol seemingly choked on his saliva, and Kyungsoo walked over and patted the taller’s back to help him get his breath back. As soon as he could breathe properly again, he adjusted his glasses that had slid down during his coughing fit, eyes darting around the room.

 “Uhm, I-I… Yes,” he stammered, pink blooming over his cheeks. “W-why?”

 “I saw how you were looking at Baekhyun before, and it seemed to be a bit more than just admiration for his work,” Kyungsoo said, softly smiling as Chanyeol looked up at him in alarm. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind it all, you’re both adults that can take care of yourself, and I really have nothing to do with it. _But_ , I would prefer if you kept it on the down low whilst we’re out here, since if it turns sours, it will create hard feelings, and that is not good at a workplace - which this after all is.”

 Chanyeol sobered up a little bit, sitting up straighter and getting control over his blood flow.

 “Oh, no, you don’t have to worry about that, Prof. I know what I’m here for, and I will keep it professional. This is a pretty big opportunity for me, and I don’t want to ruin it for something that might not end in anything lasting. I’m trying to build a career, and is not really looking for anything romantical right now.”

 “Okay, well, that’s good,” Kyungsoo said, letting out a breath. “One less thing to worry about!”

 Chanyeol gave a deep chuckle, patting Kyungsoo’s shoulder gently.

 “You don’t need to worry about me, Prof. And let me know if I can help, in whatever way needed. I’m here as your assistant, after all!” Chanyeol offered, grinning.

 “Thank you, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo said, smiling back at the younger. “It’s very appreciated. I’m pretty sure you’ll be of a bigger help than Baekhyun.”

 Suddenly, the bathroom door was flung open, revealing a freshly showered Baekhyun with his arms crossed over his chest.

 “Excuse you, what? I’m the best help, I’m your best friend!” he called out, full frowning pout activated.

 Kyungsoo merely rolled his eyes as he got back to taking care of the dishes, leaving Baekhyun to sputter at the indignity, and Chanyeol to stare at the - although dressed - dripping wet Baekhyun, hair pulled back from his face. Kyungsoo sent a quick prayer to Isis that he would manage to get out of this alive and, most importantly, with his sanity intact.

 

 After the kitchen table had been cleared and properly wiped off, a map was spread out on top of it. It was a quite old map, already containing a few scribbles here and there.

 “I know you younglings prefer using technology, but we’re of the old generation, and therefore uses real maps,” Baekhyun joked as he saw Chanyeol’s confused look.

 Chanyeol gave a quick smile, before pointing to the area with the most scribbles.

 “What does this mean? Something was found here?” he asked, and Baekhyun looked over at Kyungsoo.

 “Wait, you didn’t tell him what this was about?”

 Kyungsoo slowly shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. “I told my class that I was going to try to do an excavation based on a few leads I had, but nothing more than that. I only had a few people signing up, probably because of my vague introduction.”

 Chanyeol looked up at the two older, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

 “You don’t have any leads…?” Chanyeol asked, sounding even more confused.

 “Oh, yes, I have a few of those, but this is led more by a hunch,” Kyungsoo answered with a small smile, digging into his pocket and pulling something out. “And this is the reason for why we’re here right now.”

 Gently, Kyungsoo placed the amulet of heart on top of the map, just where Chanyeol had pointed just a little while before. It caught the light beautifully, shimmering softly.

 “Whoa… That is beautiful…,” Chanyeol whispered, hand going out to touch, but stopping just before making contact. “It’s an amulet of heart, right? What is the material?”

 “Moonstone,” Kyungsoo answered. “Several years ago, I found it at that exact spot. I’ve been trying to find where it comes from ever since, but never had any luck. Each time I’ve tried, I’ve gotten minor leads, but I’ve never been able to connect them.”

 “What made you decide to try again now?” Chanyeol asked, glancing up at Kyungsoo again.

 Kyungsoo shrugged, worrying his lower lip. “There’s just… There’s something about it. It’s always been pulling at me - that’s how I found it in the first place - and recently, the pull has gotten stronger. Maybe faith is telling me that it’s time?”

 Suddenly, Chanyeol stood up straight, eyes almost perfectly round.

 “Wait, aren’t you supposed to leave all your findings?”

 At that, Kyungsoo awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck, whilst Baekhyun began to chuckle.

 “Yeah, you should, but Kyungsoo refused to. He actually smuggled it back to South Korea. I’ve never seen him look so nervous, not even when he held his dissertation!” Baekhyun cackled, avoiding the slap Kyungsoo had aimed at his shoulder. “I was scared he would draw attention and they would think he was carrying a bomb, or something, whilst it really was just a small trinket from three thousand years ago!”

 By now, Chanyeol’s eyes were almost bulging out, and he looked pretty close to a heart attack.

 “Three… Three thousand years old?!” Chanyeol exclaimed in a reverent whisper, looking even more scared to touch the amulet now. “Should you even be touching it without gloves?”

 “Oh, yes, it’s fine, it’s not going to crumble,” Kyungsoo said, waving Chanyeol’s concerns away. “Touch it if you want to, it’s no worries.”

 Still a bit hesitant, Chanyeol slowly reached out and let his fingertips brush over the amulet, yanking them back with a gasp.

 “It’s… It’s warm!” he exclaimed, voice squeaking.

 “Freaky, isn’t it?” Baekhyun snickered, reaching out to pick the amulet up, turning it over in his hand a couple of times before placing it on the map again. “I’ve felt it pulsate as if it has a heart beat a couple of times, it’s real freaky stuff!”

 “It’s not freaky,” Kyungsoo muttered, a bit miffed by how they were talking about his trinket, tapping the map with a finger. “We have a lot to do, so let’s get back to it!”

 “Did you know that Kyungsoo wouldn’t let anyone touch the amulet at first?” Baekhyun continued, disregarding Kyungsoo’s words. “I actually thought he would rip my throat out the first time I accidentally picked it up! He can get a bit pissy about it, but it’s much better now.”

 Chanyeol began to laugh, but it quickly died down, and he cleared his throat, as he caught Kyungsoo standing with his hands crossed over his chest and lips pursed.

 “So… What are we doing, Prof?” Chanyeol asked, giving a twitchy grin to try to placate Kyungsoo.

 Pushing his glasses up, Kyungsoo cleared his throat and pointed at the map, ignoring Baekhyun trying to quell his laughter.

 “I’ve been here several times, trying to find the right place to start, but I’ve never been able to find much. I think we should use the area of finding as the base for our searches, though. Whatever I’m supposed to find should be close to it."

 Baekhyun seemed to sober up a little, as he leaned closer to the map and squinted, not wearing his glasses at the moment.

 "You've written down wherever you've gone and whatever you've found?" he asked, not needing to wait for confirmation from Kyungsoo as it was all noted on the map. "So here and here, as well as here, you've found something... How about we concentrate on this area, to see if there is anything more? Maybe we can find enough leads to point us in the right direction by focusing on here?"

 Kyungsoo nodded and began to write on the notepad he had also brought out, to make sure they would head out in the right direction.

 "It seems... Almost like a pattern...," Chanyeol mumbled to himself as his fingertips slid across the map, a focused frown on his face.

 "A pattern? But patterns are man-made," Baekhyun said, arms crossed as he looked down at the map again. "That's maybe not impossible, but at least highly improbable."

 "Ah, sorry," Chanyeol said, retreating and seemingly sinking in a little bit on himself, cheeks heating up slightly. "It just looked- but you're the professional, I'm sorry!"

 Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol, then at the map, rubbing his chin with one hand.

 "Don't apologize, Chanyeol," Kyungsoo slowly said. "You might be right, there might be a pattern to this, so please tell me how you're seeing it. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes to help you."

 Blushing increasing a little, Chanyeol fidgeted a little with his fingers, before he pointed at the map again.

 "See, there's no findings on these sides, even though you've been here and look, but at this side, and this, there are findings. A bit like a trail leading somewhere, but we don't know if it's leading this way or that way."

 Kyungsoo and Baekhyun both took a closer look at the map, before looking up at each other with wide eyes.

 "Well, damn... I owe you an apology, Chanyeol, because you might actually be right," Baekhyun said in a daunted voice, patting the taller's shoulder. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

 "Don't need to apologize," Chanyeol mumbled, fixing with his glasses, but there was a small, proud smile on his lips.

 "Then I say we should focus on these two ends, to see if it is a trail leading somewhere," Kyungsoo said excitedly, taking notes as he felt like jumping around.

 He was getting closer, he could feel it, and he could not help but wonder if this was somehow created for him to find... How that even made sense, Kyungsoo did not know, but he had seen enough to know not to question anything until he found the answer.

 

 Having a game plane set up, the three headed out to gather supplies to bring with them on their little quest, like food that could stand the heat, and water bottles. They also outfitted Chanyeol in more appropriate clothing, as he had never been on a real archeological search like this, and did not come with the right gear. When they were done, it was some time after lunch, and they decided to wait with braving the desert until the next day, though it was almost painful for Kyungsoo to admit that it was a smart plan.

 Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun ended up taking naps as they came back to their hut, whilst Kyungsoo stayed up and went over his notes and maps yet again. He could not feel the ache in his back yet, but he knew it was getting stiffer, and he would probably pay for the prolonged sitting sooner than later. He just hoped that all of the walking they would be doing would help ease it.

 After a while, there was a knock on the door, and curiously, Kyungsoo went to open. He was the only one awake, after all.

 On the other side of the door stood one of the men working at the resort, holding out a black plastic bag.

 "Mr. Byun ordered this," the man said in heavily accented English, turning and walking away as soon as Kyungsoo hesitantly accepted the bag.

 Curiously peeking into the bag, Kyungsoo then stomped over to Baekhyun's room and slammed the door open, making Baekhyun jolt upright and choke on a scream.

 "What is this?" Kyungsoo exclaimed, holding the bag up and shaking it.

 Baekhyun, who had been pressing a hand against his heart, eyes darting around wildly, calmed down enough to see what Kyungsoo was holding up. Stumbling out of the bed, he took the bag and looked into it, entire face shining up as he recognized the bottles.

 "Yay, they're here!" Baekhyun said, looking about ten years younger than his actual age.

 "You smuggled alcohol into our cabin?!" Kyungsoo asked, voice going shrill with anger.

 "No, I bought it and had it delivered here," Baekhyun said, looking up at Kyungsoo with a pout.

 "Why are you screaming?" came a deep voice, and Kyungsoo and Baekhyun turned to see Chanyeol tiredly leaning against the doorpost leading into his room, rubbing his eyes.

 "We're in a country with laws against alcohol, Baekhyun! Most of Egypt's population are Muslims!" Kyungsoo argued, turning back to Baekhyun.

 "Actually, they sell alcohol, but it's hard to get a license for it nowadays, yes," Baekhyun said, still pouting.

 "And why is the alcohol in recycled plastic bottles, huh?" Kyungsoo continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

 "Because it's _aragi_ ," Baekhyun answered, a smile replacing his pout, and Kyungsoo began to sputter.

 "What's aragi?" Chanyeol asked as he came closer, trying to peek into the black bag.

 Holding it open, Baekhyun took out one of the bottles and held it up. It contained a clear liquid with just a faint yellow hue to it.

 "Aragi is a sort of Egyptian moonshine, made in Siwa," Baekhyun happily explained. "Me and Kyungsoo drank it our first time here, woke up with horrible hangovers, and I thought we should relive it since we're coming up on our friendship anniversary!"

 Kyungsoo's anger was quickly dissipated at that, staring at Baekhyun in surprise.

 "Really? How long have you been friends?" Chanyeol asked, grinning as he looked between them.

 "Ten years...," Kyungsoo answered, trying to remember the date. "It's... Is it tomorrow?"

 Baekhyun nodded with a smile, lightly shaking the bottle in his hand.

 "So I thought we should celebrate. Both our friendship reaching ten years, and us going on this adventure. I feel like something big will happen, so we should celebrate in advance!"

 Kyungsoo gave an exasperated chuckle, dragging a hand over his face and shaking his head.

 "You're impossible..."

 "But you love me," Baekhyun said, winking at Kyungsoo.

 

 When night had settled over Egypt, the trio decided to throw a barbecue party. Their little patio came with a fire pit, and they got comfortable around it as they cooked different kinds of food, having some side dishes as well. It did not take long before Baekhyun pulled out some shot glasses, as well as the aragi.

 “Cheers!” Baekhyun exclaimed as he had handed out the filled glasses, holding his own up into the air. “For old friendships, as well as new ones!”

 “Cheers!” Kyungsoo and Chanyeol echoed, before they all took a sip of the alcohol.

 Kyungsoo winced and gave a shudder. Baekhyun cutely grimaced, smacking his lips. And Chanyeol choked and broke out coughing.

 “I don’t remember it being this strong,” Kyungsoo hissed, blinking away tears as he looked over at Baekhyun.

 “Me neither, but every batch is different, they say,” Baekhyun answered, shaking his hands as if that would somehow help clear the after-effects away.

 “ _What is this?_ ” Chanyeol whined, having finally gotten his coughing under control.

 “Hush, boy, it gets easier the second time around,” Baekhyun said as he reached over to fill up Chanyeol’s glass again, before filling his own and Kyungsoo’s. “What are we cheering for now?”

 “It’s toasting, Baek, and let’s toast for this hopefully successful undertaking,” Kyungsoo said as he held his glass up, trying to mentally prepare himself.

 “Cheers!” Baekhyun and Chanyeol called out, and they once more drank the alcohol.

 This time, their reactions were not as violent, and Chanyeol looked over at Baekhyun in shock.

 “You haven’t drank much in your life, huh?” Baekhyun asked with a grin, shaking his head. “So young still…”

 “I’ve been busy with school,” Chanyeol said, as if defending himself, his cheeks tinting pink.

 “And that’s a good thing! Don’t listen to Baekhyun, school is important!” Kyungsoo called out over Baekhyun who tried to say something witty. “ _Stay in school, kids_!”

 “He switched to English, the lightweight,” Baekhyun cackled, leaning over to fill Kyungsoo’s glass yet again. “Tonight is going to be great!”

 The trio finished off the first bottle, leaving them all a bit wobbly and giggly. At one point, Chanyeol managed to fetch a guitar from somewhere (Kyungsoo had no idea where, or _how_ ), and began to play. Even though his fingers were clumsy from the aragi, it was still good, and Kyungsoo and Baekhyun excitedly sang along whenever they recognized what Chanyeol was playing.

 “What made you want to become an archaeologist, Chanyeol-ah?” Kyungsoo asked during that time late into the night, when the initial buzz began to wear off, and they began slipping into a more serious mood, having deep talks to whoever and whatever. Baekhyun had since a while back cuddled up to Kyungsoo, claiming he was cold, seemingly slipping in and out of a light nap.

 “Dinosaurs,” Chanyeol stated without hesitancy, and Baekhyun gave a sort of snorting laugh. Kyungsoo thought that the older must be awake, then.

 “You’re so cute, Chanyeol-ah,” Baekhyun mumbled, still smiling, and still with his eyes closed so that he did not see Chanyeol’s pout. “Is it okay if I fall asleep here?”

 “Uh, no?” Kyungsoo answered, poking Baekhyun’s cheek until he began to whine and tried to sit up. “I think it’s time for bed, everyone… But first, water.”

 

 The next day, Kyungsoo woke up early yet again, but not voluntarily. No, he had much rather wanted to wake up late, since that would probably mean that he would wake up feeling better than he was feeling now.

 Groaning, he went to the bathroom, before fetching some water and chugging it down. Looking at the clock, he realized it was six in the morning, and way too early to be up. After putting bottles of water in Baekhyun’s and Chanyeol’s rooms, making sure they were still alive as well, Kyungsoo went back to his room and lied down yet again.

 The next time Kyungsoo woke up, he knew it was late. His entire body was lethargic, but at least his head was feeling better.

 Dragging himself out of bed, Kyungsoo went into the kitchen, immensely surprised to see Baekhyun in there already, putting some food on plates.

 “Thanks for the water,” Baekhyun said, smiling at Kyungsoo, as he whirled around. “I was a bit surprised to see that you weren’t up when I got up, but I’m guessing you went to bed again?”

 “Yeah, woke at six, which felt a bit too early,” Kyungsoo chuckled, sitting down by the table. “Why are you so energetic? I feel like utter shit…”

 “It’s the age, old man,” Baekhyun teased as he put a plate down in front of Kyungsoo.

 “You’re the same age as me, that doesn’t make any sense,” Kyungsoo grumbled, glaring softly at his friend.

 “I’ve always said that I have a younger soul than you, so I guess that’s why,” Baekhyun answered, winking, before walking over to Chanyeol’s bedroom. “Hey, Chanyeol? Are you alive? Brunch is ready!”

 Groans were heard, and Baekhyun chuckled as he went back to the kitchen table.

 “Or maybe y’all are just bad at drinking?” he said as he sat down, and Kyungsoo joined into the chuckling.

 After a while, Chanyeol came stumbling out of his bedroom, eyes only opened in small slits. He was holding his head with one hand, and Kyungsoo immediately felt bad for him.

 “Take those pills, they’ll help with the headache, and then drink everything in that glass,” Baekhyun gently told the younger, pointing at the different things in front of the chair Chanyeol collapsed down into. “It helps your body picking more fluids up, to keep you from being dehydrated, but it tastes a bit weird.”

 Chanyeol did as told, scrunching his face up as he drank the liquid, and Kyungsoo felt his pain. It really did not taste good, but it would help.

 “Let’s rest for today, and see what we can do later,” Kyungsoo suggested. He wanted to get out and search, but he did not quite feel like risking their lives. At least not yet.

 They ended up expanding on their plan of search, in between naps and resting. Kyungsoo forbade the drinking of alcohol for the rest of the trip - or at least until they had made a big find, after much pouting from Baekhyun.

 “Go to bed early, no late-night reading or whatever,” Kyungsoo told them as they were eating dinner. “I’m dragging you up early tomorrow, and we’re going to go head out early as well. So you’ll need the sleep.”

 “Sure thing, boss,” Baekhyun chirped, raising his water glass in a toast that Chanyeol mirrored, mouth full with food. Kyungsoo just sighed and shook his head, but he was fighting a smile.

 

 Night came and went, and as the first rays of sunlight found their way into Kyungsoo’s bedroom, he opened his eyes, fresh and ready to take the world on.

 As fresh and ready as he could be, at least. Which was a lot better than the day before.

 Humming a song under his breath, Kyungsoo took full use of the quiet morning, having a nice shower, before starting on the breakfast. When everything was handling itself, he went to Baekhyun’s bedroom and marched inside.

 “Baekhyunnie, time to wake up!” Kyungsoo sing-sang directly into Baekhyun’s ear, but the other man merely wrinkled his nose and whined like the puppy he was. Chuckling a little, Kyungsoo instead gave Baekhyun’s shoulder a shake. “Baekhyun, come on. You have to wake up, breakfast is soon done.”

 “Ihatehowearlyofariseryouare,” Baekhyun muttered as he turned away from Kyungsoo.

 “I know, I’m expecting you in the kitchen in five,” Kyungsoo said as he walked out of Baekhyun’s room, and headed to Chanyeol’s instead.

 Opening the door and poking his head inside, Kyungsoo found Chanyeol already sitting up in his bed, bleary-eyed and blinking.

 “Hey, already up, great! Breakfast is soon done,” Kyungsoo said with a grin, and Chanyeol nodded and yawned, rubbing at his face.

 Breakfast was a quick affair, and afterwards Baekhyun and Chanyeol took turns in the shower as Kyungsoo packed whatever had not been packed the night before, like water and such very necessary things.

 “Are we all dressed and ready to go?” Kyungsoo asked as they once more gathered in the kitchen, a list in his hand. He had gone through it at least thrice, and was pretty confident he had everything.

 “Yepp, and if we’ve forgotten something, it wasn’t worth remembering anyway!” Baekhyun chirped, making Kyungsoo sigh.

 “No, it means that we’re old,” Kyungsoo deadpanned, making Chanyeol laugh and Baekhyun give an indignant gasp. “Come on, let’s go.”

 Together, they picked up their backpacks, and headed outside. Even though the sun was not high in the sky yet, it was starting to feel warm outside, and Kyungsoo took a deep breath, smiling. Ah, it had been a long time since, but _finally_ he was out on an adventure again!

 Following their calculations and markings, they headed towards the are where they would begin their search, all in high spirits.

 

 By the end of day one, no progress had been made. They had scoured the desert, but nothing had been found, not even a chip. Kyungsoo knew this was the probable outcome, yet he could not help but feel a bit frustrated and discouraged.

 Dinner was spent discussing the plan for the next day, before they all went to bed early. Kyungsoo spent a few hours tossing and turning, and ended up getting out of bed.

 Standing by the doors leading out onto the patio, Kyungsoo stood and watched the moon, one hand gripping the amulet of heart. It was warm, and if Kyungsoo thought too much about it, it felt as if it was pulsating, and Kyungsoo wondered if it was happy to be home. It felt happy, at least. Or maybe it was a testament to how close they were to the place of its origin?

 Snorting and shaking his head slowly, Kyungsoo wondered when he had become one of the crazy archaeologists. He had always been a bit crazy, but now he wondered if he was not quickly approaching the edge of insanity.

 With a sigh, Kyungsoo returned to bed, the amulet of heart still in his hand.

 

 The next day proved to be as fruitless as the day before, as did the next day after. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol tried to keep the enthusiasm up, even as Kyungsoo apologized to them for pulling them into this pointless adventure.

 “Hey, now we at least know that there’s nothing in the areas we’ve already searched through, right?” Baekhyun said with a smile, accidentally making Kyungsoo feel even worse.

 Because yes, they knew there was nothing to be found, which meant that he could not save the journey with even a small find of some sorts, anything. And that made Kyungsoo despair even more.

 One late night, Baekhyun found Kyungsoo sitting by the desk, head in his hands. With a heavy sigh, he pulled a chair over to sit down next to his old friend.

 “I can smell the misery off of you,” Baekhyun mumbled, earning himself a deep hum as Kyungsoo stayed in the same position. “Soo, don’t go there. You knew this might not turn into anything, but we still haven’t gone over the entire search area. Things are looking down, but you’re an archaeologist, you should know by now that you can stumble upon the smallest thing, and end up finding El Dorado.”

 Kyungsoo snorted, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips.

 “If we don’t end up finding anything here, I vote for that being our next project,” Baekhyun said, putting his elbow on the table, chin on his hand.

 “Find El Dorado?” Kyungsoo asked, tilting his head to look at Baekhyun. “Sure, why not?”

 “Deal,” Baekhyun said, grinning, as he held up his pinky.

 “Whatever,” Kyungsoo chuckled, linking their pinkies. “Remember that El Dorado was your idea, though, so you can’t come to me and whine about it when we’re treading through jungle!”

 “As if I would!” Baekhyun exclaimed in faked offense, before he softened and gave Kyungsoo’s shoulder a squeeze. “You should go to bed. You could probably need the sleep. It’s a long day tomorrow as well.”

 Kyungsoo just nodded, exhaling slowly, as Baekhyun walked away.

 Looking down at the map in front of him, Kyungsoo brushed his fingers over the crossed-out areas. They had already done so much, but nothing… Not even the slightest find to keep hope up. At this point, it unfortunately seemed like Kyungsoo would not find anything this time around either.

 

*

 

 “Hey, Prof, can’t we rest for a while?”

 Kyungsoo came to a stop and turned around to face Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Both men’s breathing were a bit strained, and that was when Kyungsoo realized that his own was as well.

 “Do you really have to call me ‘Prof’ as well?” Kyungsoo complained, but Baekhyun only grinned at him, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

 “Why not? It’s fun,” Baekhyun answered cheerfully, before sobering up a little bit. “But we should probably rest for at least a little while, since it’s noon and we haven’t eaten yet. This is fun, but I would rather get out of it alive.”

 Kyungsoo shielded his eyes as he looked up, noting the sun’s position. He truly was going a bit too obsessed with finding whatever was to be found, and it worried him slightly. After all, he would not be the first archaeologist to succumb to madness.

 “Yeah, sure, let’s find some place to rest at,” Kyungsoo said, and the men began to look for a suitable place.

 Since they were in quite a rocky area, it was not that hard to find a cliff sticking out enough for them all to fit beneath the shadow, and all three men sighed in relief and content. Water was passed around as well as food, and they munched on it during limited small talk.

 After a while, Baekhyun stood up and stretched, turning to observe the cliff they had been sitting on. His eyes began to squint, and then he pointed at something.

 “Soo… Isn’t that a bit familiar?” Baekhyun asked, and Kyungsoo craned his head back to see what it was Baekhyun had noticed.

 And stood up so fast that he almost knocked his head on the rock above him.

 “Holy fuck!” he burst out, making Baekhyun raise his brows and Chanyeol jump, since Kyungsoo was not really known for using profanities. “It’s the same! It’s the same as on the amulet!”

 Pulling out the small amulet he was now carrying in the breast pocket of his shirt, Kyungsoo held it up to compare the symbols - and sure enough, they were basically a perfect match.

 “I… think we might be getting close…,” Baekhyun mumbled, examining both symbols from behind Kyungsoo.

 He was not prepared for the surprise hug Kyungsoo suddenly gave him, laughter bubbling out of the ecstatic professor, and they stumbled back a little before Baekhyun found his balance again.

 “This is it, we’re truly getting closer! I can’t believe this, finally!” Kyungsoo laughed, and there were tears gathering in his eyes.

 For so long, he had tried to find out where the strange amulet had come from. For so long, it had been on his mind, keeping him sleepless through countless nights. For so long, he had thought that maybe he was turning crazy. But now, here they were, in front of the proof that there was more to this. There was more to be found, and they were close to finding it!

 As Baekhyun tried to comfort the sobbing and babbling Kyungsoo, Chanyeol got up and looked at the symbol, pulling out the glasses he had kept in his bag.

 “Uh, guys… I think I know where to go,” Chanyeol said, pulling Kyungsoo and Baekhyun back to the present. “You see this, it’s almost worn off, but I think it’s telling the direction.”

 Both men scrambled over, also pulling out their glasses and getting closer to properly examine the thing Chanyeol had discovered.

 “Wow, well done, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo breathed, as Baekhyun gave the taller an enthusiastic high five. “Are we feeling done? Because I suggest we get going…”

 They quickly packed their belongings and got going, the atmosphere almost vibrating from the excitement all three now felt in full force.

 Continuing through the rocky environment, they found more symbols every now and then, helping them in the right direction, until they came upon a large cliff that looked too smooth, too well-formed, to have been formed by Mother Nature.

 “A mastaba?” Baekhyun whispered, hand coming up to cling to the sleeve of Kyungsoo’s shirt.

 “Uh, I think so?” Kyungsoo whispered back. “Carved into the cliff… That’s amazing!”

 “Chanyeol, could you hand me the-” Baekhyun began, glancing back and realizing said man was not listening. “Chanyeol!”

 Chanyeol snapped out of his trance, blinking down at Baekhyun in confusion, embarrassment painting his cheeks.

 “I-I’m sorry, I just… This is my first time being along to discover something like this,” Chanyeol mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s pretty amazing, and… humbling?”

 Both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun grinned at the giant, nodding.

 “Don’t worry, it’s fine,” Kyungsoo said. “We understand, we’ve been there as well. Do you want to know the best part? That feeling never goes away. You’ll feel it the next time as well, and the one after that, and so on. And when you stop feeling it, that’s when you should retire.”

 A smile softened Chanyeol’s features, and there was a light in his eyes that told Kyungsoo all he needed to know. He had indeed made the right choice in choosing Chanyeol as his assistant, and Chanyeol had indeed chosen the right career. Kyungsoo hoped he would be there to see all of Chanyeol’s achievements, as he had a feeling that the young man could go far.

 “Have you ever been inside of a mastaba, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, making the two others turn back towards him. Chanyeol gave a slow shake, his expression turning more and more amazed, as if he began to realize that he was _actually_ going to go inside. “Do you want to?”

 “Yes,” Chanyeol breathed, his voice sounding strangely strangled.

 Snickering, Baekhyun turned towards Kyungsoo, nodding in the direction of the grave site.

 “Lead the way, Prof. This one is yours, after all.”

 It was a beautifully crafted mastaba, and it was obvious even a few thousand years later that a lot of thought and care had gone into making it.

 “I wonder who it belong to,” Kyungsoo said as they carefully made their way over to the entrance, seeing nothing on the outside that gave anything away. “No decorations, no markings, no anything…”

 “Maybe it was intentional? To hide it better?” Baekhyun suggested.

 “Maybe, but why?” Kyungsoo mumbled, running a hand over the large stone door leading inside. It felt strange beneath his palm, almost like… Like his amulet. “Help me get this open, will you?”

 With the combined strength of all three of them, they managed to get the stone out of the way, and stood gazing into the darkness for a few moments.

 “We brought lamps, right?” Baekhyun whispered to Kyungsoo, who just nodded, a bit overwhelmed. “We should probably get them out now…”

 Kyungsoo took a deep breath before nodding, forcing himself to focus on the now, and the need for light. They all huddled together and began to search their bags, until they pulled out the electrical lights. Taking one each, they lit them, and once more stood up. Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo, and he had to take a few more breaths before he was finally able to take the first step.

 But as soon as Kyungsoo stepped inside, relief flooded him, and he felt a smile pull at his lips. This was it, this was what he had tried to find for _so long_ , and he had finally found it… _This was actually it!_

 The inside of the mastaba was beautiful, richly yet tastefully decorated with murals on all visible walls. There were various scenes etched and painted into the rock, and Kyungsoo would have to go through them properly later to discern their meanings, but for now he just wanted to take in all of it.

 “Soo! I think I’ve found the _serdab_ ,” Baekhyun called out, and Kyungsoo turned around, seeing Baekhyun stand next to a wall, small openings near the ceiling hinting at something lying behind it.

 “We should mark on the GPS where we are, and get back to town so we can get in contact with the officials and get permission to start the next part of the excavation,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he stood next to Baekhyun, fingers itching to reach out and tear the wall down to be able to see the grave statue.

 A hand landed on his shoulder, and Kyungsoo looked up to find Baekhyun gently smiling at him.

 “I’ll take care of it now, and we’ll head back when you feel ready. I know this is big for you, so take the time you need.”

 “Thanks, Baek,” Kyungsoo said, giving a grateful smile back.

 “Plus, I think we need to give your apprentice some time as well,” Baekhyun added, using his thumb to point over his shoulder as his smile turned into a grin.

 Looking at where Baekhyun was pointing, Kyungsoo saw Chanyeol, standing near the entrance. He was gently cradling the electric light in both hands, gawking open-mouthed at the chamber before him, and his eyes were _sparkling_.

 “Chanyeol, are you crying?” Baekhyun softly called out, chuckling.

 “No,” Chanyeol called back, but his voice was mushy and a bit strangled, and Kyungsoo could see a lonely teardrop run down his cheek.

 “Baekhyun cried like a baby at his first excavation,” Kyungsoo contributed, remembering that first time so many years ago. “Just let it out, it’s just us here. And maybe the spirit of the person buried here.”

 Chanyeol promptly got down on his knees, still cradling the light and hugging it to his chest, and it looked as if he was holding his shining heart in his hands.

 “I- It’s just… Such a strange feeling? I feel like I’m trespassing, but at the same time, I feel like I’m doing the greatest honor?” Chanyeol whispered, voice hoarse. “They’re letting me take a peek into their life from so many years ago, letting me share their final resting place?”

 “Yeah, we get it,” Baekhyun said, walking over and patting Chanyeol on the head. “It is an overwhelming experience, and we’ve been there as well. Take your time.”

 As Chanyeol calmed down and Baekhyun wrote down some notes, Kyungsoo slowly wandered around the room, taking the beauty of it in. There were several scenes laid out around the walls, some of mundane chores and situations, and some of more intricate and interesting things. Kyungsoo made mental notes of some of the more intriguing murals, to take a better look at them when they returned with better lights.

 

*

 

 It took about a week for them to get permission to start excavating, and during that week, they spent most of the days in the mastaba, going through whatever they could without disturbing it. Better lights were set up, photos were taken, and whenever Kyungsoo was not in the mastaba or sleeping, he was preoccupied going over the photos. Photos and papers were strewn across his desk, a somewhat organized mess - at least to Kyungsoo.

 There was just so much information to be gathered from the murals covering the mastaba, so much that Kyungsoo could barely believe it. It was as if he had uncovered a great treasure, something more similar to what archaeologists found back when they started excavating tombs and burial places.

 Sometime, Baekhyun would join him, pointing out things here and there, giving Kyungsoo a fresh look on things. Often, Kyungsoo asked Chanyeol to join him, teaching and having Chanyeol help him at the same time, giving the student some theoretical knowledge as well.

 But the real interesting things came when they finally got their permission, and started to truly excavate, which meant carefully tearing down the wall separating the rest of the mastaba from the serdab.

 Block by block was careful cut out and removed, until the small room was finally exposed, an opening big enough for someone to step through carved through the wall. With his heart hammering in his chest, Kyungsoo took a lightstick, cracked it, and stepped inside.

 Holding the lightstick up, Kyungsoo took some time for his eyes to get used to the even darker surroundings, blinking a few times as if that would help him. There was something strange about the ka statues, but it was not until Kyungsoo could see a bit cleared that he realized what it was.

 “Hey, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo said, frowning slightly. “There’s two ka statues in here. Two men, it seems like even.”

 “Wait, for real?” Baekhyun asked, stepping into the small area as well to get a look. “Well, I be damned… There are two. Two men. What?”

 “Two grave statues?” Chanyeol asked, being the last to step inside, eyes immediately growing round as he caught sight of the statues.

 “Yeah, two of them,” Kyungsoo mumbled, slowly scanning the taller statue with his eyes and getting a good look at it. “That is unusual. Very unusual.”

 “I have to say, this is one of the most handsome grave statues I’ve ever seen,” Baekhyun mumbled as he squinted at the taller of the two statues, Kyungsoo rolling his eyes. “But why are there two, though?”

 Chanyeol had been quiet since he had gotten into the small room, eyes glancing between the smaller of the statues, and Kyungsoo. It was starting to get on Kyungsoo’s nerves.

 “What is it it, Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo asked, hoping it would snap the younger out of whatever spell he was under, but his words did not do much. Chanyeol kept looking between him and the statue, a frown now appearing on his face.

 “Uhm… Doesn’t this statue look a lot like you, Prof?” Chanyeol finally said, making both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun look up at him, before looking over at the statue.

 Large, round eyes, full lips, around the same height… It did not take much imagination to see the resemblance, but at the same time, it was too generic to really say more than that.

 “It kinda does, actually,” Baekhyun chuckled, putting an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Maybe that’s why you’re so interested in Ancient Egypt, because in your previous life you were an Egyptian yourself…”

 “So you’re on the side of belief for reincarnation now again?” Kyungsoo asked, sending Baekhyun a small grin. “I thought you’d given up on it?”

 Baekhyun merely shrugged, arm slipping from Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “What can I say, sometimes I see things that makes me doubt, sometimes I see things that makes me believe. This makes me more prone to belief than doubt, and so I change my beliefs. The real question here, though, is why there’s two statues like this here. We haven’t seen any proofs of there being two burial chambers, so are there two mummies in the one chamber?”

 Kyungsoo pursed his lips as he tapped them with one finger, thinking.

 “Seems unlikely, but considering the two statues here… Maybe? I guess we’ll see when we get that far. Seriously, Chanyeol, are you okay?”

 Chanyeol jumped slightly, startled, eyes going round. He was still looking between Kyungsoo and the statue, red now coloring the tips of his ears.

 “Uh, yeah, sure, I’m just… A bit freaked out by your doppelganger,” Chanyeol mumbled, scratching the side of his throat.

 “Could you please fetch me some more lights and the camera, then?” Kyungsoo asked. “Since you find the statue so scary?”

 Chanyeol quickly nodded his head and disappeared, Baekhyun giving the statues one last look before departing as well. As he waited, Kyungsoo held his lightstick up a bit higher, getting a better look at the statues.

 Sure, the shorter statue did look almost uncannily like Kyungsoo, but it was still rather vague. The taller statue, though, it caught Kyungsoo’s interest even more.

 It had full lips, just like the smaller ka statue, but an entirely other facial shape. Strong jaw, high cheekbones and intense eyes - even with the highly stylized art of Ancient Egypt, there was no denying that whoever that statue belonged to, it was a very handsome man.

 “Here you go!” Chanyeol exclaimed, and Kyungsoo jumped almost a mile into the air. “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, Prof.”

 “No, it’s fine,” Kyungsoo said, waving away the apology and accepting the goods Chanyeol brought him. “It’s probably going to happen again, sometimes I just get too caught up in my analyzing…”

 “Okay,” Chanyeol answered, giving an awkward smile. “Uh, Prof, do you mind if I help Baekhyun out instead? I really think these statues are creepy…”

 “Sure thing, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo said with a little chuckle. “It’s better if you get a varied learning experience anyway. Though, keep in mind, at one point you will have to take a better and more analytical look at these statues!”

 With one last salute, Chanyeol strode out of the serdab, leaving Kyungsoo alone yet again.

 Placing the electrical lights, Kyungsoo then began to take photographs of the two statues. It looked as if they were following him with their eyes, in that weird way art sometimes did, but Kyungsoo did not feel frightened by it. If anything, he found it… Endearing, for lack of a better word. It felt as if they were watching over him, to keep him safe, and it made him smile.

 

 Most of the day went into carefully making their way into the ka statue chamber, and after Kyungsoo was done with his photographing, the trio decided to head back home. The next day they were going to start looking into getting into the burial chamber, but for now, they were all rather happy with the progress of the day, as well as slightly exhausted from the bodily work in the heat they were still not quite used to.

 

 The next day brought disappointments and exasperated laughs.

 As they tried to clear the grave shaft to be able to get down into the heart of the mastaba, they discovered that it was a faked shaft, leading into nothingness instead of the burial chamber. Half of the day had already passed when they made the discovery, and Kyungsoo and Baekhyun sat back, stared at each other, and burst out laughing.

 Bewildered, Chanyeol looked between them, but it only made them laugh even more.

 “Why are you laughing?” Chanyeol asked after a few seconds, not at all understanding what was going on.

 “It’s just… Of course it was a fake one, of course,” Baekhyun explained, motioning for the shaft. “It’s annoying as hell, but there’s nothing else to do but laugh and try to find the other, _real_ , shaft.”

 “Let’s take a break first, I swear I’ve stretched something,” Kyungsoo groaned as he stood up, stretching his back and popping some joints. “Ah, shit, that hurt…”

 “You’re getting too old for this,” Baekhyun snickered from where he was sitting leaned back on his arms, legs stretched out in front of him. Chanyeol chuckled as he went to fetch some water, whilst Kyungsoo muttered something not so nice and kicked Baekhyun’s feet.

 “Such a meanie, not my fault you’re half a year older than me and obviously showing it,” Baekhyun pouted, and Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he turned and went to join Chanyeol and get some water as well.

 All of a sudden, something sounding suspiciously much like a ‘crack!’ echoed around the mastaba, and before Kyungsoo had the chance to react, he was falling. Thankfully, the stone walls of the shaft were not too far away, and he managed to slow his fall a little bit, but it was still a harsh landing that knocked the air out of him.

 Coughing and groaning, Kyungsoo rolled over onto his side, trying to blink the blurriness out of his eyes as he heard shouting above him. Before he had the chance to do anything else, a big sneeze was torn out of him, and then another three followed.

 “Kyungsoo! Are you okay?” Baekhyun’s voice called down the shaft, and as the world stopped spinning as much, and he had sneezed most of the dust away, Kyungsoo managed to slowly sit up and peer up the shaft.

 “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Kyungsoo called back. “Sore, but fine! I think I found the burial chamber!”

 A low snort was heard, and Kyungsoo smiled.

 “No shit, what else would have a shaft leading down into another cavern?” Baekhyun deadpanned. “What can you see?”

 Kyungsoo looked around, but there was not much he could see with the dim light from the shaft above him not illuminating very far.

 “Uh, basically nothing? It’s pitch black down here, Baek!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, tone dry.

 “Okay, yeah, stupid question,” Baekhyun laughed. “Just hold on for a minute and I’ll find Chanyeol. I think he has the lightsticks.”

 “Yeah, sure, I’ll just lie down here and rest some…,” Kyungsoo groaned, slowly and carefully lying down on his back.

 He was for sure going to have some nasty bruises tomorrow, and he could almost feel them blooming beneath his skin. But it was just another work hazard, Kyungsoo comforted himself with, letting out a deep sigh that had his side aching.

 “I’m back!” Baekhyun called from above, and opening his eyes, Kyungsoo could faintly see Baekhyun above him. “Wow, you look terrible. You sure you’re okay?”

 “I might have cracked a rib or something,” Kyungsoo admitted as he slowly got up into a sitting position again. “Did you find the lightsticks?”

 “Yes, Chanyeol had them, but I don’t think you should move around too much,” Baekhyun said, voice laced with worry. “Just stay still until we can get some help, okay?”

 “Just toss the damn lightsticks down, Byun, I want to see what’s down here,” Kyungsoo said, slightly threatening.

 “It’s your fucking life,” Baekhyun muttered as he threw the package of lightsticks down, and Kyungsoo knew that it was the worry that made him sound so bitter.

 But he was in the heart of the mastaba right now, and he needed to see what was down here, cracked rib or not. So, taking a lightstick out of the package, Kyungsoo cracked it and held it up above his head, making sure to use the arm on his uninjured side. A warm and soft glow began to illuminate walls filled with murals, and it completely stole Kyungsoo’s breath away.

 Getting up on his knees to stand, Kyungsoo stumbled over to the closest wall, fingers trembling as he let them slide over the wall, following lines, barely daring to touch it in case he destroyed it. They were incredibly well-preserved for being so old, probably amongst the most well-preserved Kyungsoo had seen in his entire life.

 “Hey, stupid! Have you found anything interesting?” came Baekhyun’s voice suddenly, abruptly waking Kyungsoo from his admiration.

 “Uh, yeah! The murals are amazing! You’ll pass out when you get down here to see them!” Kyungsoo called back, slowly inching even further into the burial chamber.

 Soon, the orange light fell upon the sarcophagus, and Kyungsoo felt a strange pull, as if a rope had fastened itself in his center and was tugging him forwards. Frowning, but giving in nonetheless, Kyungsoo carefully walked closer to the large coffin, testing his footing before putting his entire weight on it. He was pretty sure he would not suffer another fall, but rather being too careful than not careful enough.

 Then Kyungsoo was there, within reach of the coffin, and stretching out his hand, his fingers brushed against the cool stone. There was a familiar feeling to it, something that had nothing to do with other gravesites he had visited before. Something more… Soulfelt.

 Something yanked on his body, hard, and Kyungsoo screamed out in pain as his injured rib cage was agitated. The pain was enough for red to bloom behind closed eyelids, but it was forgotten as the world began to spin, the floor once more dropping out from beneath him, and Kyungsoo fell for the second time in ten minutes. He heard Baekhyun scream out his name in panic, but it was as if it was coming from the other side of a long tunnel, quickly getting further and further away, and not from just above him.

 It felt as if Kyungsoo was thrown here and there, like stuck in underwater currents, barely able to breathe and unable to open his eyes. If he had been on firm ground, he would have puked, the nausea rising dangerously in his throat.

 Then everything grew strangely still, not a single sound was heard, not a single movement of air, and Kyungsoo felt as if he was floating. Thankful for the respite, Kyungsoo dragged in a shaky breath, and just like that, he dropped again. But this time, he soon hit the ground, and the pain that shot up through his legs combined with the pain in his side was enough for him to black out.


	2. Chapter II

 Kyungsoo slowly came awake to an aching in his arms, side and legs, and strange murmurs around him. Wincing, he tried to open his eyes, and move from the uncomfortable position of lying on his stomach.

 That was when he noticed what the ache in his arms actually was.

 His hands were tied behind his back, so securely that the rope ran up his arms and ending above his elbows. Fear shot through him, and he managed to get his eyes open, being immediately blinded by sunlight as tears swelled. But he quickly blinked them away, heart pounding in his chest and mind racing around the different possibilities.

 Kyungsoo’s vision cleared, and he was quite sure that  _ this _ possibility would never had crossed his mind. He was no longer in the mastaba - no, quite far from it - and he was not with Baekhyun or Chanyeol. Instead, he was surrounded by men dressed in something that Kyungsoo knew had been worn thousands of years before he had been born. Specifically, in Ancient Egypt. And they were also carrying weapons, weapons Kyungsoo had never seen in such a good condition before.

 Had he… Somehow transported back in time? To Ancient Egypt?

 But as soon as the thought popped into Kyungsoo’s head, he quickly dismissed it. That was ridiculous, it was probably just a prank played on him by Baekhyun and Chanyeol…

 And then Kyungsoo looked up, eyes sliding over a man sitting on a throne, and his breath got caught in his throat. The man could have been a model, with his golden tanned skin stretched over strong muscles, sharp facial features with full lips, and quite nice proportions. Kohl was lining his dark eyes, and slightly wavy black hair was framing his face. His ears, neck and arms were decorated with both gold and silver, and only a white kilt was wrapped around slim hips. There was something familiar about the man, and it took Kyungsoo half a second to realize that he looked like a copy of the taller burial statue they had found, the one who had seemed to be a Pharaoh. If Kyungsoo entertained the idea of time traveling, he would have been pretty sure that this man was the Pharaoh, and the model for said statue.

 But that was crazy. Right?

 The more Kyungsoo looked around, and the more he noticed, the more he began to think that maybe it was not as ridiculous as he had thought after all. His surroundings looked too authentic, in a way that was hard to do in the twenty-first century, and as he began to listen, he realized that they were actually talking Egyptian. No one talked Egyptian like that anymore, and Kyungsoo had to focus hard to try to understand it.

 The guards were speaking to the man - the Pharaoh - about him. They had apparently found him passed out not too far outside of the city, and since Kyungsoo looked so strange, they had restrained him and taken him with them, since they did not know if he was a threat or not. They wanted the Pharaoh’s opinion on the matter, and here they were.

 Well, no wonder his hands were bound, Kyungsoo thought to himself, gulping as the Pharaoh’s eyes turned to him. They looked him over, examining and evaluating, and Kyungsoo felt the fear rise in him again. If this was real, if he had somehow managed to end up in Ancient Egypt and was now lying on the floor in front of the Pharaoh, this could be bad. Like, really bad. Kyungsoo might get thrown into jail, or worse - executed.

 Then the Pharaoh opened his mouth and spoke, voice low but firm, and Kyungsoo forced his brain to catch up and translate the words as quickly as possible. After all, his Egyptian was extremely rusty in conversational circumstances, especially around people who spoke it exclusively.

 “Who are you?” Kyungsoo managed to understand from the Pharaoh’s words.

 “I, uh, my name is Kyungsoo, Do Kyungsoo,” Kyungsoo managed to stammer out, wincing slightly over how bad his pronunciation was - but it was at least a full sentence.

 The Pharaoh tilted his head slightly, as if having as hard of a time deciphering Kyungsoo’s words as Kyungsoo had with understanding the Pharaoh. But an interested spark had entered his eyes, and Kyungsoo prayed that it was a good sign.

 “Where are you from, Do Kyungsoo?” the Pharaoh asked, seemingly deliberately slowing his words down to help Kyungsoo understand better.

 “South Korea, it is a country very far to the east,” Kyungsoo answered.

 But this seemed to be the wrong answer, as the guards around him suddenly began to mumble amongst themselves, crowding closer around Kyungsoo and aiming their weapons against him.

 Breath and heart speeding up, Kyungsoo tried to move away, but since he was still bound and on his stomach, it did not work all too well.

 “Stop!” rang out, echoing around the large room, and all guards stilled. “Step back and let him speak!”

 Almost immediately, the guards obeyed the order, but they all kept their weapons lowered and aimed in Kyungsoo’s direction. The Pharaoh let out a tired sigh, and Kyungsoo once more looked towards him.

 “What is your purpose to being here?” he asked, and Kyungsoo clamped his teeth around his lower lip.

 This was the tricky question, since he did not know. A little while ago, he had fallen down into a burial chamber whilst excavating an unknown burial site, and now, here he was, apparently in the past and maybe in front of the man whose burial chamber he had accidentally tumbled into.

 “I do not know…,” Kyungsoo mumbled, looking straight into the Pharaoh’s eyes. “I have no answer to that.”

 The Pharaoh thought about that for a little while, a finger running over plump lips as he contemplated.

 “Until I figure out what to do with you,” the Pharaoh began, leaning back in his seat, “I will keep you in a safe place. You will get water and food, but will be unable to leave your room. Untie him.”

 Kyungsoo let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding as one of the guards walked forwards and undid the rope around his arms, hands stinging uncomfortably as the blood flow was restored in them. Slowly sitting up, Kyungsoo massaged his hands to try to speed the process along, wincing slightly over how incredibly sore he was.

 Oh, right, before having been dropped in the past, Kyungsoo had been dropped into a burial chamber made from stone! Ugh, no wonder his body felt like it had been trampled by elephants...

 Hands came around his upper arms to make him stand up, and Kyungsoo hissed as it agitated most of his body, but the guards did not mind this. Limping, Kyungsoo was led away from the large room, and deeper into the palace.

 It was truly an amazing place, and Kyungsoo could not keep his inner archaeologist from marvelling over the incredible building. It was not every day you were being led through an Ancient Egyptian palace in pristine condition! The murals covering the walls, the pillars, the vases and pots… If Kyungsoo had more time, he would love to go over them, because this was too great of an opportunity to let it go to waste. He had seen similar things that were thousands of years old, but here, here they might be freshly made.

 All too soon, they had arrived at Kyungsoo’s new “room” - it was really just the nicer part of a dungeon, most probably for keeping higher people confined until their destiny was determined. Kyungsoo felt slightly honored over being deemed precious enough to be placed in a room like this, but at the same time it felt a bit overdone. If they only knew that Kyungsoo would rather fight for his life to  _ stay _ in the palace, not  _ leave _ …

 He was pushed a bit briskly into the room by the guards who had been leading him, before the door was slammed closed. But Kyungsoo did not really care that much, being much more interested in the room around him.

 

 Kyungsoo came awake to someone watching him. His brain was lagging a bit behind, and for a moment, he thought it was Baekhyun coming to wake him up. Then he saw beautiful tan skin barely covered by white fabric and gold and silver jewelry, and yesterday caught up to him.

 Scrambling, Kyungsoo tried to get up as quickly as possible, but with the state his body was in, it did not work as intended, and he instead found himself stumbling and almost falling down. A low chuckle made it all more worse, and Kyungsoo found himself blushing.

 “Calm down,” the Pharaoh said, holding a hand up. “I did not mean to scare you.”

 Kyungsoo gave a deep bow, his inherent politeness taking over, especially strong since he was in the company of royalty, but his ribs strained against the move and had him wincing. He hoped the Pharaoh had not noticed.

 And that hope was quickly crushed as the Pharaoh walked towards him with a worried look on his face.

 “Are you hurt? Did my men harm you?” he asked, but Kyungsoo quickly shook his head.

 “No, I took a bad fall, which is why they found me unconscious,” Kyungsoo said, hand going up to his bruised side. “It is fine, though, just aching a bit.”

 But the Pharaoh ignored him as he promptly took a hold of Kyungsoo’s shirt and pulled it up, revealing black and blue bruises covering most of his side. Kyungsoo had to admit that it looked pretty bad, actually.

 “Just aching a bit,” the Pharaoh snorted, shaking his head. “I will get my healer to take a look at it. It looks as if you might have broken a rib. How did you fall this bad? Did you drop out of the sky?”

 The Pharaoh’s tone was teasing, but Kyungsoo just gave a noncommittal shrug, seeing as that was basically what he had done. Well, he dropped out of time, but he was pretty sure that the Earth looked a bit different between the different time periods, and he might very well have been dropped quite some distance. His legs thought so, at least.

 The Pharaoh’s eyes widened, and Kyungsoo found himself thinking that if all Pharaohs looked as good as this one, it was not that strange that they were seen as deities. Crap, Baekhyun might have rubbed off worse on him than he thought…

 “You dropped out of the sky? Are you a God?” the Pharaoh asked, his voice lowered in a humbled whisper. “I knew there was something special with you! With your strange clothes and difficulty with our language, though you know it…”

 Kyungsoo gave an awkward laugh as he pulled his shirt back down, shaking his head.

 “No, not a god. I just… This is hard to explain, and you might not believe me, but I come from the future. About four thousand years into the future, actually.”

 “But then you must be a God, only Gods can travel through time,” the Pharaoh argued, brow furrowing and head tilting. He seemed to like tilting his head. “Humans do not have that ability.”

 “Honestly, I do not know how it happened, but all I know is that I was in a burial chamber, and then I was here,” Kyungsoo sighed, rubbing his forehead. “But I know that I am not a god.”

 The Pharaoh took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging.

 “If you are not a God, then this is the work of the Gods. You came here for a reason, we just have to find it out. Why were you in a burial chamber?”

 Kyungsoo debated for a second or two if he should tell the truth or not, seeing as it most probably had been the burial chamber of this Pharaoh. He was looking a lot like the statue they had found, after all…

 Taking a few steps back, Kyungsoo sat down on the bed and dragged a hand through his hair, deciding to tell the truth, but thinking of  _ how _ to tell it. It was kind of a sensitive matter, after all.

 “In my time, we have something called archaeology. It is the science of uncovering ancient civilizations, and the time you are living in is one of them. Ancient Egypt is my area of expertise, and I had traveled here to try to find a new place to discover. Which I did find, and started to excavate. Go through it and see what kind of treasures are in it, and find out how you lived your life thousands of years ago, because we find it fascinating. Actually, Ancient Egypt is quite amazing, since you evolved a society that is far too advanced for what it should be, and… I am sorry, I did not mean to get into a monologue like that…”

 The Pharaoh had a gentle smile on his lips as he listened to Kyungsoo talk, and it widened as Kyungsoo apologized.

 “Ah, no, no need to worry. I find it flattering that you think so highly of my… Civilization. I do not understand everything you are talking about, but enough, I think,” the Pharaoh said, fetching the chair that were standing in the room and placing it in front of Kyungsoo before sitting down. “Please, continue. You were in a burial chamber?”

 Kyungsoo took a deep breath, focusing on explaining again.

 “Yes, we found a mastaba, and I accidentally fell down the shaft leading down into the burial chamber. Which is part of the reason for my bruises. It was a beautiful burial chamber… Probably the most beautiful I have ever seen,” Kyungsoo breathed, his mind far away as he remembered the murals and the coffin. “And then I touched the coffin, and… I guess was transported back here. Since it was apparently so close to this town, and during your reign, I guess it might very well have been your mastaba.”

 Kyungsoo realized what he accidentally let slip, even though he had not decided on if he should tell the Pharaoh or not. Slapping a hand over his mouth, he looked up at said man, but the Pharaoh seemed more contemplating than upset.

 “At least I have a beautiful burial chamber,” he said after some time, a small smile creeping upon his lips that had Kyungsoo relaxing. “I know I will die, my body is not immortal, and that does not frighten me. And what more can a man wish for than a beautiful place for his body to rest?”

 Kyungsoo chewed on his lower lip as he thought about that.

 “I guess nothing else? But you do not have to worry about that, it was a really beautiful place. Fantastic murals and a big coffin. All the important stuff.”

 The Pharaoh let out a real laugh at this, louder and more charming than his low chuckle, and it made Kyungsoo smile as well. He must truly be blessed by the gods, considering how white and well-shaped his teeth were, and if Kyungsoo ever met Baekhyun again, he would seriously contemplate wringing his neck.

 The thought of Baekhyun sobered Kyungsoo up, and he let his eyes fall to his hands in his lap.

 “What is wrong?” the Pharaoh asked, and Kyungsoo glanced up at him, shaking his head and giving a small smile. “You cannot fool me, I see that something is wrong. Tell me, so I can help.”

 “I… It is just that my friends, I left them behind in my timeline,” Kyungsoo mumbled. “And I might not be able to see them ever again. That is just… A bit sad.”

 “Have you been friends for a long time?” the Pharaoh asked in a gentle voice, as if trying to comfort him, and Kyungsoo did not know why a Pharaoh from Ancient Egypt was trying to comfort him. But he did not really care, either, feeling as if he needed to be a bit comforted right now.

 “Yes and no. One of them is my… Well, I guess,  _ was _ my student. I brought him along as an assistant to me, to help him get some experience,” Kyungsoo said, smiling a bit as he thought about the excited giant tripping over himself as he looked through the mastaba. “And the other I have known for ten years. We studied together and realized we had much in common, so we became friends. He probably knows me better than my own mother, actually… We have been through a lot together.”

 Kyungsoo fell silent at that, loss and sorrow filling his heart, and the Pharaoh gave him some time to mourn. Kyungsoo had to admit that the presence of the Pharaoh, though he was a powerful man, was quite comforting. At least he did not have to go through this completely alone.

 “It is obvious that you care a lot about both them,” the Pharaoh mumbled, making Kyungsoo nod. “And it is a shame you have to part with them forever. If I can help you get back to your own time, I will. But until we figure out a way to do it, I will help you whichever way I can. You are quite the interesting man, Do Kyungsoo. I think I can learn a lot from you.”

 Kyungsoo gave an awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck, wincing slightly as it agitated his side.

 “I do not know about that, Your Highness…,” he said. “Sure, I am quite educated, but probably not in the best way to help you.”

 The Pharaoh just looked at him, one eyebrow raised, and Kyungsoo felt a bit nervous over the expression.

 “You said your area of expertise is this era, am I right? Does that not mean that you know a lot about my kingdom?”

 As Kyungsoo realized that this was pretty true, his eyes widened and his mouth formed a small ‘o’.

 “And you said we were much more advanced than we should be? It might be that your purpose of coming here is to help us get that advanced…,” the Pharaoh mused, thumb and forefinger caressing his chin slowly. “Maybe… Maybe when you are done, you will be able to return home?”

 “Well, I can hope, at least,” Kyungsoo answered, giving a small smile. “It is quite amazing to be able to see Ancient Egypt with my own eyes, but there is no place like home, after all… My entire life is there, everything I know and love.”

 A strange look entered the Pharaoh’s eyes, but before Kyungsoo could decipher it, it was gone, and a smile was in its place.

 “I will help you in whichever way I can, I promise. Until then, though, I’ll send for my healer to take care of your injuries,” the Pharaoh said, getting up from the chair and walking over to the door. “Unfortunately, you will have to stay in here for a little while longer. Until my guards see that you are not dangerous.”

 “You have already come to that conclusion?” Kyungsoo joked as the Pharaoh reached out to open the door.

 “Oh, yes, of course. No only are you injured, but you are also both shorter and more lacking in muscle than me,” the Pharaoh said, grinning. “I might be the Pharaoh, but that does not mean that I am incapable of defending myself. Rather the opposite, I need to make sure that I am able to fend for myself even if I am alone. If you had wanted to harm me in any way, the best way to do that would have been whilst having me alone in here. But instead, you spoke about your passion, lost yourself in it for a moment, and I could see the sincerity of it. So yes, I am quite sure that you are harmless. Or, close to it, at least.”

 Kyungsoo pursed his lips, not sure if he should feel offended by the analysis or not. In the end, he decided that it was pretty true, and merely shrugged, brow wrinkling as a jolt of pain zipped through his body.

 “Please, try not to move too much until my healer has had a chance to look at your injuries,” the Pharaoh sighed, a bit exasperatedly, before knocking on the door. It opened, and the Pharaoh sent one last smile Kyungsoo’s way, before stepping outside, the door closing behind him.

 And just like that, Kyungsoo was alone again. Alone with all the thoughts and other stuff running through his mind. Sighing, he carefully lied down again, hoping he would quickly find a way to return back to his own time. Sure, it was an amazing opportunity, but he had a feeling that the longer he stayed, the harder it would be to return. After all, he had left everything behind in the future, it was where he belonged.

 Sighing a second time, Kyungsoo decided to heed the Pharaoh’s words, and not move too much. Not that it was that hard, after all, time traveling jetlag was worse than the airplane kind, apparently. Kyungsoo felt exhausted to the bone…

 

*  


 

 “What did you do? Did the guards use violence to get you to succumb?”

 The Pharaoh’s healer had arrived in Kyungsoo’s cell to take a look at him, and Kyungsoo was quite sure he liked the soft-spoken man with equally soft hands. Yixing, he had told him his name was.

 “Oh, no, I fell,” Kyungsoo said, feeling slightly embarrassed as he sat shirtless on the bed, Yixing’s hands and eyes roaming over him in examination. Kyungsoo had never liked going to the doctor. “Down a stone shaft.”

 Yixing nodded as his eyebrows furrowed, lips pursing.

 “You did quite the tumble… This bruising will go down in a few days, but I am worried about what is beneath,” Yixing mumbled, gently pressing at Kyungsoo’s ribs and making him jerk and wince. “I do not think anything is broken, thankfully, but probably a few cracks here and there. Hopefully there are no loose splinters working their ways towards important organs, but I cannot make that judgement now. I will wrap you for support, and you need to promise me to keep as still as possible so that it heals, and nothing potentially life-threatening is jiggled loose. Is there anything else?”

 “Uhm, I landed hard on my feet and they have been hurting as well?” Kyungsoo answered, chewing on his lower lip. He kind of felt as if he let Yixing down with each and every injury he had, and he did not understand why.

 Yixing sent him a short, amused look, before kneeling down and rolling Kyungsoo’s pant-legs up. He began to gently press at different places on Kyungsoo’s legs, humming to himself, before looking up at Kyungsoo with a soft smile. This entire man seemed soft, Kyungsoo found himself thinking.

 “Your legs seems quite fine. There might be minor cracks, but not enough to worry about. Just try to rest your legs as much as possible, and they will heal quite quickly,” Yixing said, and Kyungsoo breathed out.

 He had been a bit worried, being stuck in the past with injuries, it was quite nice to hear that they did not seem that serious. Of course, his ribs might become the death of him if things got bad, but on the other hand, there were not many other ancient civilizations where Kyungsoo would rather drop into with injuries. He was suddenly very thankful that he felt such a connection to one of the most advanced ancient civilizations in history, and managed to end up in it.

 “So I should just lie here and and not move?” Kyungsoo said, smiling a bit, as Yixing began to wrap his torso with bandages.

 “Preferably,” Yixing chuckled. “But I know that is a tall order, so as long as you rest as much as possible, I am happy. And try not to bend over too much. Squat down instead, and things like that.”

 “Sure thing, Doc,” Kyungsoo mumbled, wincing slightly as the bandages were firmly - but not tightly - wrapped.

 “Doc?” Yixing asked, pausing his ministrations and looking up at Kyungsoo.

 Kyungsoo gave an awkward smile, scratching the side of his throat.

 “Uh, from where I am, healers are called doctors, and you shorten it to ‘Doc’ sometimes, like a nickname,” Kyungsoo explained, Yixing nodding absently as he thought about it. “I am a professor where I am from, and my students call me ‘Prof’.”

 “‘Doc’ and ‘Prof’? That sounds like a great duo,” Yixing said, smile so big that dimples appeared in both his cheeks.

 “It does,” Kyungsoo agreed, chuckling slightly and ignoring the slight zing of pain the motion brought him.

 Yixing finished up the bandaging, and got back up, gathering the things he had brought with him.

 “There, that should be good enough. Now, like I said, do not move around too much, and I will ask the Pharaoh to let you move to a better room. I see no reason for you to stay here,” Yixing said, smiling softly at Kyungsoo.

 “Security measures, to make sure I am not dangerous,” Kyungsoo said, shrugging and then groaning in pain.

 “Did I not tell you to not move too much?” Yixing laughed, shaking his head. “I understand why they put you here, but I no longer see it as a valid reason. I will come check up on you every now and then, to make sure everything is healing properly, but for now I will say goodbye.”

 Kyungsoo waved as the healer went out of the room, leaving him alone once more.

 But he was not alone for long. Kyungsoo had barely lied down to try to rest some, about an hour after the healer’s visit, when the door to his cell was opened and a guard walked inside. He gestured for Kyungsoo to get up, and Kyungsoo obeyed as quickly as he could.

 Without saying a word, the guard led Kyungsoo out of the cell and through the palace, another guard having waited outside walking behind Kyungsoo as they went. Kyungsoo got another look at the riches decorating the halls, once more marvelling over it. If he just could get some time to examine it all…

 They arrived at an open corridor, with pillars instead of walls, showing a beautiful cultivated garden. Kyungsoo stared open-mouthed at it, loving actually being able to see how it really looked, instead of having to guess based on whatever evidence he could find.

 Too soon in Kyungsoo’s taste, they arrived at another part of the palace, and once more stepped inside. This place was even more richly decorated, and Kyungsoo wondered where exactly they were taking him. Because it was looking a lot like the Pharaoh's quarters, and Kyungsoo was unsure about how he should feel about it.

 “Princess Taemin, I did not know you would be here,” the first guard said, bowing low as a woman entered the room they were in.

 She was dressed in a robe skillfully wrapped around her body, that showed more than it hid. Kyungsoo of course knew of the fashion used in Ancient Egypt, and he should probably have realized that he would run into these kinds of things, but it still did not keep him from letting his gaze fall to the floor as he bowed, feeling the warmth of a blush on his cheeks.

 “Since the Pharaoh is busy, I thought I would take upon myself the duty of welcoming our new  _ guest _ ,” the princess said, stressing the word ‘guest’ in a way Kyungsoo disliked.

 He looked up at her again, making sure to keep his eyes at the relatively safe area of her face. The princess had thick, black hair, curling around her face and down her shoulders, obviously having chosen to keep it instead of cutting it off, like many Egyptians who could afford it did. But considering how healthy the princess’ hair looked, Kyungsoo was not that surprised. Another thing that did not surprise Kyungsoo that much either, was the high cheekbones and full lips that reminded him of the Pharaoh. Sister, wife, or both?

 “Did not expect him to be so… Short,” the princess mumbled, making Kyungsoo purse his lips and stand up a bit straighter. This was not missed by the princess, as a spark shot past in her eyes. “You can go now, I will take it from here.”

 The guards bowed once more, then they left, but not before sending Kyungsoo very stern looks. He understood the gist of them - no touching the princess, or he would probably be dead, or at least maimed. Kyungsoo had no intentions of touching the princess in any way - honestly, he would much rather get away from her.

 “So you are the one they found in the desert?” the princess asked when they were alone, arms crossed over her chest. Kyungsoo was rather thankful about this, since it hid a bit more than her clothes did.

 “Yes, your Royal Highness,” Kyungsoo answered. He did not know why, but there was something about the princess that made him very uncomfortable, and not only her obvious dislike for him.

 The princess gave him another one-over, before pursing her lips just slightly, and turning around.

 “This is part of the Pharaoh’s quarters, which you might already have guessed,” the princess said as she began to walk, and Kyungsoo took it as he was supposed to follow her. “This is supposed to house one of the wives, but for now it is yours. He told me that you are trying to get back home, and I hope it does not take too long. Must be horrible to be away from your home…”

 Kyungsoo just hummed in agreement, understanding what the princess really was saying. She wanted him out of here, as quickly as possible. Why that was, or what Kyungsoo had ever done to the princess, Kyungsoo had no idea. He had literally spent his time in Ancient Egypt locked into a cell, what could possible have made the princess dislike him already?

 “Whatever you need will be brought to you, just let the servants know,” the princess said, turning back to Kyungsoo as they had entered the large bedchamber. “You are advised against leaving these quarters, so please just stay here. I have other business to attend to, so I will take my leave, but a servant is ready to serve you. Any questions you have, ask them, and they will hopefully be able to answer. Otherwise they will let me know, and I will do my best to answer.”

 “Yes, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo mumbled, wondering why the princess was the one the servants would go to, and why she had not mentioned the Pharaoh.

 Was the princess… Jealous?

 Kyungsoo quickly shook his head at that thought, because that was ridiculous. Why would the princess be jealous of him?

 

 A sound made Kyungsoo look up from the scroll he had been reading, trying to get his rusty Ancient Egyptian up to date. It really had been a long time since he had had to translate something on his own, and not rely on official translations.

 Standing by the door to the bedchamber was the Pharaoh, peeking into the room, and Kyungsoo immediately sat up a bit straighter, bowing his head a little bit.

 “I saw the light and figured you were still up,” the Pharaoh said, looking down at the scroll in Kyungsoo’s hands. “Thought I should visit and make sure everything is to your liking, since I was not able to welcome you before. Is it alright if I come in?”

 “It is your palace after all, I cannot really deny you entrance,” Kyungsoo said with a small chuckle.

 “For however long you need them, these quarters are yours,” the Pharaoh said as he stepped inside, frowning a bit. “Of course you can deny me entrance, never feel pressured to invite me. I may be the Pharaoh, but that does not mean I do not respect your privacy. Should you not be resting? Yixing told me of your injuries…”

 Kyungsoo shrugged a bit, keeping it small enough to not hurt, rolling the scroll up.

 “Maybe, but there is so much knowledge to be gathered here, and I cannot keep away,” Kyungsoo said, feeling a bit sheepish, but his mind  _ craved _ to learn more. It was buzzing with thoughts, even though his body was exhausted.

 The Pharaoh took a seat in the chair next to Kyungsoo, half-turned towards him, smiling softly.

 “You have a real thirst for knowledge, do you not? So refreshing, most people I deal with daily are greedy and only want more riches, not caring about anything else,” the Pharaoh said, trailing of a little bit, before looking up at Kyungsoo with a renewed spark in his eyes. “Oh, can you not teach me something? Like a language of your time? Or whatever you think I can handle!”

 Kyungsoo was a bit taken aback by the request - why would the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt want to learn a modern language? - but at the same time, he did not feel like he could say no. He was a professor as well as an archaeologist, so the prospect of teaching someone something was kind of exciting.

 “Hm, why not?” Kyungsoo agreed, and the Pharaoh shone up with a brilliant smile that made Kyungsoo’s heart skip a beat, but he covered it up by clearing his throat. “I can teach you the language that is one of the most spoken in the time where I come from?”

 “Yes, please,” the Pharaoh said, still grinning like a child receiving a present. “How exciting!”

 “Uhm, do you want to start now?” Kyungsoo asked a bit uncertainly, because it was getting pretty late, and the Pharaoh had probably been ruling his country from the morning until evening.

 “If you do not mind, I would like to,” the Pharaoh said, exchanging his grin with a more serious look. “I have troubles sleeping, and maybe your lessons could help with exhausting my mind?”

 “Maybe I will be able to bore you to sleep at least,” Kyungsoo said, chuckling a bit as he pulled out a sheet of parchment and a pen and some ink. “First of all, this language uses a different kind of writing style. There are twenty-six letters that make up their alphabet, and that form the words.”

 The Pharaoh watched in silence as Kyungsoo wrote down each letter, then mimicked the sounds Kyungsoo did for the letters.

 “Sounds quite good,” Kyungsoo said after a while, before writing down his name beneath the letters. “This is how you spell my name using these letters - Do Kyungsoo.”

 “Can you write my name?” the Pharaoh asked, oohing over what Kyungsoo wrote.

 “Do you want me to write your title? I do not know your name,” Kyungsoo slowly said, looking up at Pharaoh to judge his reaction. You were supposed to use ‘Pharaoh’ whenever speaking to said man, it was what you did, and anything else was blasphemy.

 “No, not my title, my real name!” the Pharaoh said, waving away Kyungsoo’s concerns with a hand. “My real name is Jongin. Here, let me write down the hieroglyphs for it…”

 Handing the pen over, Kyungsoo watched as the Pharaoh wrote his name down, trying to figure out how to best translate it to the English alphabet. After being done, the Pharaoh handed the pen back to Kyungsoo, and he began to write.

 “Hm,  _ Jongin _ , it should be something like this…,” Kyungsoo mumbled as he wrote down the six letters. Looking down at his handiwork, Kyungsoo deemed it good enough, and glanced up to see the Pharaoh looking at him. “Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

 But the Pharaoh shook his head, smiling a bit.

 “No, nothing wrong, it is just… I rarely get to hear my name nowadays. The only one who dares speak it is my cousin,” the Pharaoh said, a tone of amusement in his voice. “But she has known me since we were children, so…”

 “Oh, the princess is your cousin?” Kyungsoo guessed, thinking back to the woman he had met earlier that day. Well, guess he had been wrong on the relationship between the two of them, then.

 “Ah, yes, you met her today, did you not? My dear cousin Taemin, princess and appointed to become my wife,” the Pharaoh said in a slightly sarcastic tone, leaning back in the chair. “I hope she did not scare you too much, I know she can be a bit… Overbearing.”

 “Oh, no, of course not, she was very kind and showed me around, letting me know she would help me with whatever question I had that the servants could not answer,” Kyungsoo said, faking a smile. She had been  _ a bit _ overbearing, but that was not something he could tell the Pharaoh!

 “In other words, yes, she was being a bit overbearing, acting like the princess she is,” the Pharaoh said, chuckling a bit and shaking his head. “She is very protective of me and and my position, to the point that I sometimes do not know which one she values the most, but she is not harmful. She can be rather sweet when you get to know her, even.”

 Kyungsoo chose not to answer that, instead pursing his lips a little bit. He really did not have the best impression of the princess, and the Pharaoh picked up on it.

 “Give her some time, and I am sure you will see how sweet she can be,” the Pharaoh said, voice soft, and Kyungsoo begrudgingly nodded.

 After all, you could not judge someone fully after the first encounter, and Kyungsoo knew better than most that a certain exterior did not mean a certain interior. Even if the princess had acted very coldly to him, there could be several factors to this.

 Kyungsoo just had no idea what any of those factors could be…

 

*  


 

 As promised, the Pharaoh made sure to get whatever scrolls could possibly contain any kind of relevant information delivered to Kyungsoo’s quarters. To Yixing’s relief, Kyungsoo spent most of his time sitting or laying, reading and not moving around too much, and it did not take too long before the bruising began to settle.

 And when Yixing finally cleared Kyungsoo to be allowed to move further distances, two weeks had passed, and the Pharaoh decided to acquaint Kyungsoo with the library connected to the Palace.

 “It is the richest library in all of the kingdom, filled with knowledge and entertainment!” the Pharaoh told Kyungsoo as they walked. “Whatever your heart desire, it will be found here!”

 “Is that so?” Kyungsoo asked, amused by the Pharaoh’s obvious bragging. “I guess there is still some time until the Royal Library of Alexandria is built…”

 The Pharaoh frowned, glancing at Kyungsoo as they passed through another arch. “‘Royal Library of Alexandria’? What a strange name…”

 “Considering the city was founded by a Greek king, it is not that odd,” Kyungsoo said, smiling. “There are still some thousand or so years to go until it is built, but it is known as one of the largest libraries of the ancient world. And also for burning down.”

 “Burning down? Why did it burn down?” the Pharaoh asked, slowing down a little as his interest took over.

 “Accidentally burned during a civil war, but we do not know if the whole library burned, or just parts, and if it was rebuilt or not after. A lot of knowledge was probably lost, though…”

 They had stopped walking by now, the Pharaoh wearing a contemplating look.

 “That is a shame… What luck you have to have been sent back to my time, where we have a large and fully functional library!” the Pharaoh exclaimed, and just like that, he was back to his smiles, the mood lifted.

 “Truly a miracle,” Kyungsoo chuckled, and they started to walk again.

 “I have to admit, it is a bit strange to hear about things that will happen after my death,” the Pharaoh mumbled, and Kyungsoo quickly glanced over at him, but the Pharaoh seemed more thoughtful than anything else. “Fascinating, but strange nevertheless…”

 “Where I come from, you can find most information through a hand-held device, no need to go to a library,” Kyungsoo offered, and he could see how the Pharaoh’s eyes lit up in interest.

 The short walk left to the library was spent discussing mobile phones, and how the internet worked. As they stepped into the library, the Pharaoh was still trying to wrap his head around it all, Kyungsoo having admitted that he did not fully know how it worked either. It just did, and that was all he needed to know.

 “So much knowledge, with instant access? Sounds dangerous,” the Pharaoh hummed, rubbing his chin. “Ah, we have arrived. Sehun? Are you here?”

 A tall man appeared from behind some shelves, bowing once as he moved towards them, and Kyungsoo realized that they were surrounded by shelves upon shelves packed with papyrus rolls. The smell of it lingered in the air, and he breathed in several lungfuls of it, revelling in it.

 “Kyungsoo?” the Pharaoh said, and Kyungsoo blinked himself back to reality. “This is Sehun, the caretaker of this library. Whatever you need, he will be the one to help you find it. And if he cannot find it, then it probably does not exist.”

 “Nice to meet you, Sehun,” Kyungsoo said, giving a small bow.

 “My pleasure,” Sehun mumbled, returning the bow. “It is nice to finally meet the man who might be able to match my intelligence.”

 Kyungsoo could see the teasing spark in the librarian’s eyes, and he smiled at the challenge.

 “Let us find out who is the master, then,” Kyungsoo said. “I will warn you, though, I have a few years on you, in more ways than one!”

 “You seem to be able to get along just fine, good,” the Pharaoh said with a grin. “If anyone will be able to discover what needs to be discovered, I would say-”

 “Your Highness, do you not have more important duties to perform than playing around in the library?” a female voice asked, cutting through the nice atmosphere between the three men, who all turned to look at the newcomer.

 Princess Taemin strode inside of the library, today dressed in a white dress, and Kyungsoo was thankful to find that it was not transparent today. He guessed he had to get used to the somewhat exposing Egyptian fashion, but it would really help if it was a slow process.

 “You need not worry about my duties, dear cousin,” the Pharaoh said, smiling sweetly. “I can assure you that they are going well. And this ‘playing around’ is part of them.”

 The princess’ eyes slid over them, stopping momentarily on Kyungsoo, before she pursed her lips and looked away.

 “Very well. I will just have to take your word for it.”

 And with that, she turned and walked out again, silence reigning as she disappeared.

 “She worry too much,” the Pharaoh sighed, shaking his head before looking back at Kyungsoo and Sehun. “Now, shall we get back to work?”

 

 Most of Kyungsoo’s days were spent in the library, either with both Sehun and the Pharaoh, or just Sehun. After all, the Pharaoh was a rather important person, and had quite a few duties he had to take care of.

 Kyungsoo did not mind, though, completely absorbed by the literal knowledge riches he was surrounded by. There was so much information to sift through, to find even the barest of hints to whatever had happened to him, but the journey through was anything but tedious.

 Having spent so many years of his life researching Ancient Egypt, he now had a once upon a lifetime - no, not even that, but an  _ impossible _ opportunity to gain a unique insight into the civilization. More than once, Kyungsoo found himself wondering what Baekhyun would think about what he found, and every time, he would end up with an aching heart.

 They had been through so much together, but the most important travel of them all, Kyungsoo was alone for. He had the Pharaoh and Sehun, as well as Yixing, and they were all nice and helpful, but it was not the same. Baekhyun was his  _ best friend _ , and that was irreplaceable.

 “Are you okay?” someone asked as a hand landed on his shoulder, and Kyungsoo looked up to find Sehun worriedly looking at him.

 “Ah, yes, I am,” Kyungsoo said, giving a small smile. “Just thinking about people I have lost through my journey here… And what they would think about it all.”

 Sehun pulled out a chair and sat down next to Kyungsoo, dumping the scrolls in his arms on the table.

 “If you ever feel like talking to someone, please, do not hesitate to come to me,” Sehun offered. “I know you are very close to the Pharaoh, but I also understand if you feel uncomfortable discussing some things with him. He is a very kind man, but he is also a very sheltered man in some ways, and he holds an immense power over us.”

 “Thank you, Sehun. I will remember that,” Kyungsoo said, giving the librarian a grateful smile.

 Just then, some commotion was heard, and they both looked up to find the Pharaoh standing outside of the entrance to the library, one arm trapped by the hand of Princess Taemin. She was saying something to him, but her voice was too low for them to hear. She seemed agitated, though, and very much so.

 The Pharaoh himself was frowning, entire stance tense, and Kyungsoo wondered what was going on. Not that he would ever ask, oh no, but he could not help but worry.

 “I have never liked the princess…,” Sehun admitted in a whisper, and Kyungsoo turned to him in surprise. “There is something about her… Something that makes me uncomfortable.”

 Looking back at the obviously fighting couple, Kyungsoo could not help but nod in agreement. Yes, there was something about the princess that was… Off.

 The Pharaoh said something, before yanking his arm out of the princess’ hold, and stalking into the library. The princess turned, gaze locking with Kyungsoo’s, and he could not fight the shiver travelling up his spine. Her eyes were so cold and dead, and for a second, Kyungsoo felt  _ scared _ . Then she turned and walked away, and Kyungsoo was able to breathe a little bit easier.

 “How is it going here?” the Pharaoh asked when he got closer to the table, a smile on his lips, but it was not as carefree and easy as it normally was.

 It was clear that the Pharaoh did not want to talk about what had just happened, and neither Kyungsoo nor Sehun wanted or could ask about it, so they began to fill him in on what they had found - or rather, not found. It turned out that even with the greatest library in all of Egypt, it was extremely hard to find information on teleportation through time.

 

 Many of Kyungsoo’s evenings and nights were spent in his quarters, with the Pharaoh on visit. He had really taken to his lessons, and practiced diligently. He seemed to have a natural affinity for languages - at least speaking them - and Kyungsoo was rather impressed.

 Throughout the sometimes hours they spent together going through whatever subject the Pharaoh felt like discussing, Kyungsoo could pretend that this was normal, and that his previous life had not existed. More and more, his hope for making it back home began to diminish, but it was not only because of lack of information.

 Oh, no, something else was starting to bloom, something that was holding him back in other ways, and it very much had to do with a pouting and loudly laughing man that he was slowly getting to know.

 But every now and then, something would show up to pop Kyungsoo’s bubble of imagination, like the one time Princess Taemin showed up at Kyungsoo’s quarters, cold rage blazing in her eyes.

 “I have tried to find you for hours, Your Highness,” she said in a cold tone, clearly aiming for worried, obviously missing.

 “Really? Why did you not ask one of the guards or the servants? They would have pointed you here hours ago,” the Pharaoh simply answered, relaxed even as Kyungsoo tensed up.

 Princess Taemin gave a tight-lipped smile, seemingly holding her tongue, and Kyungsoo wondered if it was because she was scared of the Pharaoh’s repercussions, or because she did not want Kyungsoo to hear.

 “Was there anything you needed or wanted, dear cousin?” the Pharaoh asked, but the princess quickly shook her head.

 “No, nothing, it was nothing. Do not worry about it, Your Highness,” she said, before briskly walking away.

 Kyungsoo and the Pharaoh watched her go, before the Pharaoh let out a sigh.

 “I really do not know what to do with her…,” he mumbled, and Kyungsoo looked at him in confusion. “Dearest cousin Taemin seems to be suffering from some inner dilemma or something, but I cannot figure it out. If I did not know better, I would have suspected it had something to do with you, but whatever could that even be? You keep to yourself and does not bother her, and as far as I know, you have never insulted her, right?”

 “Oh, no, never, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo said, his laughter slightly too high-pitched to sound easy. “I would never dare to insult a princess, and I have no reason to do so.”

 “Just as I thought,” the Pharaoh said, two fingers pressed against his lips as he seemed to contemplate the situation. With another sigh, he turned back to Kyungsoo and smiled. “Oh, well, where were we?”

 

 Kyungsoo started to suspect he had somehow insulted Princess Taemin without meaning to - or even knowing - since every time they saw each other, she would either glare at him, or pin him down with cold stares. Whenever they happened to be in a discussion together - the Pharaoh the mutual connection - she would never address him, only speaking to him if absolutely necessary.

 The Pharaoh asked every now and then if Kyungsoo had somehow wronged the princess, but all Kyungsoo could do was deny it and tell the Pharaoh that he really had no idea what was going on.

 But then it all culminated one late afternoon, as the sun was about to set.

 Kyungsoo was in his room, having just finished a long stretch of reading and getting up to get some water and take a break. He had noticed someone standing in the doorway, and shocked, he had turned to find Princess Taemin there, slowly strolling inside. There was something prowlish about her walking, and Kyungsoo felt like the prey to her predator.

 “You are alone, good…,” the princess said, and Kyungsoo felt his heart start to speed up. “Seems like you are always hanging off of the arm of my dear cousin nowadays…”

 Kyungsoo frowned, sensing something strange from the princess’ voice and choice of word. But by then, Princess Taemin was already close enough for Kyungsoo to see her properly, giving him no time to try to analyze her words.

 There was something burning inside of the princess’ eyes, and it made Kyungsoo pull back. He recognized it, but he had never seen  _ hate _ that strong before.

 “Do not think I do not understand what you are doing,” she spat out, and Kyungsoo’s head spun, not understanding what was going on. “I can see through your little  _ act _ . You came here, pretending to be a god, to get the favor of the Pharaoh. Blasphemy! I thought he would see through you, just like I have, but now here we are… Tell me, how did you earn his favor after everything? Did you offer him your body?”

 And the pieces clicked into place, and Kyungsoo just stared at the livid princess as it all made sense. She was  _ jealous _ over Kyungsoo och the Pharaoh’s  _ friendship _ . She felt  _ threatened _ by it.

 “No matter what you did, it does not matter,” the princess mumbled, shaking her head as Kyungsoo kept quiet, unable to find his tongue to speak. “As the future queen of this land, it is my duty to protect it. No matter the cost, I will keep Egypt and the Pharaoh safe. Now, tell me, can a god bleed?”

 “ _ What- _ ” Kyungsoo blurted out, mind blanking as the princess held up a hand, a wicked-looking dagger in it.

_ Can a god bleed? _

 Kyungsoo did not know the answer to that question - hell, he did not even  _ believe  _ in the gods - but he knew that  _ he _ could bleed.

 And he knew there was nowhere to go, as the princess stalked forwards and cornered him. And it did not matter if he tried to protect himself, because no matter what, he would still be injured, he would still  _ bleed _ , and the dagger looked sharp enough to do some serious damage if it managed to touch him.

 But still, his body automatically reacted when the princess raised the dagger, covering his face with his arms.

 The blow did not hit where he had expected. A silent gasp left Kyungsoo’s lips as he felt the dagger slice through the skin of his abdomen, pushing inside and exposing his intestines. It was a weird feeling - cold metal deep inside of your body - and Kyungsoo lowered his arms in surprise, staring at the dagger sticking out of him. It was surreal, and not even as his hand came away bloodied did he really understand it.

 She had stabbed him in the guts? He had a dagger in his guts?

 Then the princess quickly retracted the blade, and the pain hit Kyungsoo full force. Unable to breathe properly, he sunk to his knees, pressing his hands against the hole in him to try to keep it closed, blood gushing out. How bad was a wound to the abdomen, Kyungsoo tried to think, but his brain refused to give him an answer, already having succumbed to panic.

 A hand fisted in his hair, wrenching his head back painfully, but Kyungsoo could only give a small pant of pain. There was no scream, no crying, just breathlessness. Breathlessness and numbness and the distant clogging of fear.

 The blade was pressed against Kyungsoo’s throat, and now he knew, this was it. Getting your throat slit you did not survive. Especially not thousands of years before proper medical treatment.

 Strangely, Kyungsoo did not feel too bad about it. About dying. He would die in a time and place he had spent most of his life researching and loving, after all. It was a dream coming true. Maybe Jongin would even let him get a proper burial as well.

_ Jongin. _

 Out of everything that had happened, Kyungsoo would never have believed that he would befriend a real Pharaoh. Getting transported through time into the past, being allowed to live through the history that was his obsession, fine. But learning from and teaching a Pharaoh? Befriending him? That was what Kyungsoo found the hardest to believe.

 But it was also what Kyungsoo regretted the least. Even if it was about to lead to his death, he could never regret getting close to the Pharaoh, to  _ Jongin _ .

 And as the blade began to press harder against his skin, and Kyungsoo felt it part as ice began to fill his veins, he allowed himself to acknowledge the feelings that had slowly began to boil beneath the surface. He was deeply fond of the Pharaoh, admiring Jongin. And it was funny, because who else would Kyungsoo fall for, if not an Egyptian Pharaoh?

 Opening his eyes that had somehow slipped close, Kyungsoo thought he saw Jongin standing in front of him, a bit away, staring at Kyungsoo slipping away. And Kyungsoo smiled, thanking his mind for letting him see the beautiful face one last time.

 One last time, before the darkness that had hovered around the edges of his vision stole him away.

_ “Kyungsoo!” _


	3. Chapter III

 This time, Kyungsoo was sure that he was dead.

 The last time he had awoken, it had been to pain, but this time... This time, he woke up to  _ softness _ .

 He felt as if he was floating on a cloud, a sweet murmuring surrounding him, and he almost snickered as he thought of angels. So this was it? The Christian God was real, and you really went to heaven when you died? Out of all of the religions Kyungsoo knew of, Christianity was not high on his list of most probable.

 The murmuring changed, and the new voice made his heart clench painfully in his chest. But he wanted to hear more of it, even though it sounded a bit sad. Yes, Kyungsoo wanted to comfort it, because angels should not cry.

 Kyungsoo floated in and out of his mind for quite some time. Sometimes, everything was just gone and darkness, and sometimes, it was a dark and soft burgundy with accompanying angel murmurs. Sometimes, there was a warmth wrapped around Kyungsoo’s hand, and he wished he could hold on to it.

 Then something switched, something changed, and Kyungsoo felt as if he was slammed back into his own body. Everything was heavy and aching, with scorching pains in his stomach and his throat.

 The murmurs changed, and Kyungsoo realized they were not murmurs of angels at all. And the warmth around his hand became firmer, a grip, and now Kyungsoo was able to hold on to it, trying to gasp in lungfuls of air, even though it agitated his throat even more.

 His mind began to claw its way back towards the surface, bringing more pain to his body, and Kyungsoo grimaced as he just tried to hold on.

 And it was with a choked cry that Kyungsoo finally managed to get back to full consciousness, tears tumbling from his eyes as he tried to blink them open, to see why everything was hurting, to find out what was wrong.

 Someone was talking to him, but Kyungsoo could not understand a single word they were saying. It was not Korean, and Kyungsoo tried to make his own mouth form the right words, to tell them that he could not understand, but then he realized.

 He was still in Egypt.

 And when he realized that, his mind clicked into the right language, and he begun to understand.

 “Kyungsoo, lie still. Calm down, it is fine, just lie still. Moving will only hurt more,” was repeated over and over again, until the person seemed to understand that Kyungsoo understood as well.

_ Yixing _ , floated into Kyungsoo’s brain, the image of the kind healer appearing above him, looking worried and a bit blurry. There was another face there as well, but it was further away, and Kyungsoo could not make it out.

 “Is he awake for real now?” another voice asked, the angel voice that had been so sad that it had made Kyungsoo’s heart ache.

 “Yes, I think so, Your Highness,” Yixing answered, moving away for a brief moment before returning.

_ Your Highness? _

_  Jongin. _

 The sad angel voice had belonged to Jongin.

 And with that realization, all of Kyungsoo’s memories returned, including the ones of princess Taemin stabbing him in the guts, before proceeding to cut his throat.

 A delayed scream of fear forced its way out of Kyungsoo’s abused throat, and it plunged him back into the darkness once more, along with the sensations of Yixing and Jongin rushing to comfort him.

 

 For the next couple of weeks, Kyungsoo floated in and out of consciousness, assaulted by horrible pains each and every time. Sometimes, it was only Yixing there, trying to comfort him, and sometimes Jongin would be there as well, eyes haunted and dark with desperation.

 Kyungsoo’s recovery was slow and painful, and several times he wished that the princess had actually managed to finish him off, because death seemed nicer than whatever he was living through at the moment. He knew it was a foolish thought - he should be thankful for still being alive - but it was a truly horrible experience to try to heal from such serious wounds during Ancient Egypt.

 Different medical ointments were slathered onto his skin and wounds, different rituals performed, and Kyungsoo felt a bit amazed over the fact that he was able to see for himself how Ancient Egypt had tried to heal sick and injured people. If only it had not been  _ he _ who had been the patient, it would have been much more captivating.

 As Kyungsoo’s wounds healed and he began to regain his strength, his moments of unconsciousness became fewer and farther between. Slowly, he began to be able to talk again, though his raspy voice made his words sometimes hard to understand. Nethertheless, both Yixing and Jongin were patient with him, telling him to take his time and not try to rush it.

 Kyungsoo found out that through some miracle, the stab into his guts had somehow avoided making too bad of a damage. Actually, the blade had not even gone that deep, and Kyungsoo silently thanked the Princess for being too weak to do it properly. The attempt to slice his throat as well, which would have killed him without a doubt, had also been unsuccessful - this thanks to the Pharaoh arriving at that precise moment and saving him. Meaning that Kyungsoo had not conjured Jongin’s image in his mind when he thought he was about to die, but having seen the real one, and he felt oddly embarrassed over this fact. Especially after remembering the thoughts he had had during that event.

 But even though Jongin was often by Kyungsoo’s side, helping Yixing take care of him, there was something aloof about the young Pharaoh. He was there, but not fully, and Kyungsoo could not help but worry about it. He knew that he was being a nuisance and that Jongin had other, more pressing and important, things to take care of, like running his country, but no matter how many times Kyungsoo told him to leave and take care of those things, Jongin would just frown and shake his head, not uttering a single word.

 His words were actually very rare at the moment, only a word here or a short sentence there, and Kyungsoo knew he was the source of it.

 During one of the rare moments when Yixing stepped outside and left Kyungsoo and Jongin alone for a while, whilst taking care of whatever business he had, Kyungsoo finally tried to grasp his own courage with both hands, and talk.

 Kyungsoo was strong enough to sit up by now, only a thin blanket thrown over him as he had begun to get his body temperature back to a more normal degree, very much helped by the climate of Egypt. Jongin was sitting in a chair next to him, elbows on the bed, chin leaned against his hands as he stared at something far away.

 “Your highness,” Kyungsoo said, voice barely above a hoarse whisper, but loud enough to make the Pharaoh jolt and look over at him. “I apologize if I step over any boundaries here, but I must ask - what is wrong?”

 Jongin tensed, eyes still glued to Kyungsoo, but he could see the Pharaoh’s muscles lock in place. Kyungsoo knew he was about to deny or something as soon as Jongin opened his mouth, and so he did something that could be very stupid.

 “Forgive me for interrupting you, but do not lie to me,” Kyungsoo said somberly, head leaned back against the wall behind him. “I can see that something is wrong, and I am quite sure it has something to do with me.”

 Jongin looked shocked for a half a second, before breathing out a low chuckle, a smile on his lips that did not fully reach his eyes.

 “It is really refreshing that you are not scared of me, Kyungsoo,” the Pharaoh said in a voice just as low as Kyungsoo, as if afraid to break something by speaking up louder.

 “Oh, I am afraid of you, you are the most powerful man around, and with my life in your hands in more ways than one, but I try to not think too hard about that,” Kyungsoo said, going for a lighter tone but immediately regretting it as Jongin’s small smile dropped in favor of a pained expression.

 “Please, do not say that… Your life is your own, it does not belong to me in any way…,” Jongin mumbled, and Kyungsoo could hear desperation in his voice.

 “I am sorry, but not only are you the Pharaoh, you also saved me from…,” Kyungsoo said, ultimately unable to speak of the Princess more than what he had already said without feeling a lump of fear logging itself in his throat.

 Because even though Princess Taemin had not been strong enough to kill him off, even though Jongin had managed to arrive just in time, it did not mean that Kyungsoo was not still afraid of the person who had been so livid about his existence, so close to ending his life just because of jealousy and misguided distrust. She was a madwoman in Kyungsoo’s mind, and he had no doubt that if she could, she would try to kill him again.

 The Pharaoh’s eyes hardened, jaw clenching as his hands that were resting on top of Kyungsoo’s bed became fists, and Kyungsoo could for the first time since he had arrived in the past see how terrifying the Pharaoh could really be.

 “ _ Yes _ , I might have saved you from  _ her _ , but  _ I _ was the one who got you into that situation in the first place!” Jongin spit out, and Kyungsoo felt his pulse speed up from fear and something else. “Oh, I should have known, should have  _ seen _ , just to what lengths she would have gone to secure mine and ultimately her places on the throne… Kill the first person who actually does not see me only as a tool to use, but as another human being, because of jealousy? Steal away the glimmer of happiness I have managed to find, just because she felt threatened?”

 The thoughts were spinning at a mad speed inside of Kyungsoo’s head as he soaked each and every word that fell from the Pharaoh’s lips. Kyungsoo was a source of happiness for Jongin?

 “If I had not worried so about you dying in my arms, I do not know what I would have done with her,” Jongin whispered, and the fire seemed to drain out of him as he sunk back in the chair and dragged a hand through his hair, eyes far away. “All of the blood, your skin so pale in the wrong way, your lack of responses… I thought you were lost to me… I will never be able to thank Yixing properly for being able to heal you, he must work for the Gods…”

 Kyungsoo’s heart stung with each and every beat as he listened to Jongin’s pain-filled words, desperation and fear in the background of each sentence. He wanted to reach out and comfort the young Pharaoh, but that was too much for even him to do - no matter how many chances Kyungsoo took to break the rules.

 “But what… What keeps me up at night is not the feel of your warm blood running over my skin and pooling beneath me, knowing that it was your life force draining out of you,” Jongin continued, looking over at Kyungsoo, and the archeologist could see tears glitter in his eyes. “No, that is  _ nothing _ compared to what I saw when I first stepped inside of your room, to see Taemin stand behind you, knife against your neck.”

 Kyungsoo shivered as he felt a phantom blade slide across the nearly healed wound on his neck, making it throb uncomfortably. Jongin noticed and pulled the blanket closer around Kyungsoo’s body, the tears still there and threatening to fall.

 “Your eyes were closed, but then suddenly, you looked up, as if sensing me, and then you… You  _ smiled _ . You looked straight at me, and smiled, whilst your life was about to be taken away by force. As if you were thankful for me being there. What were you  _ thinking _ ?”

 By now, one of the tears had fallen from the Pharaoh’s eyes, and Kyungsoo’s hands twitched, wanting to reach out and wipe it away, but he kept himself still as he felt his own eyes prick.

 “I was thinking,” Kyungsoo began, before clearing his throat. “I was thinking that it had been an amazing experience to be able to live at least a few weeks in my prefered civilization. To be able to come here and see with my own eyes what I have loved my entire life. And I hoped that maybe you would be kind enough to give me a proper burial.”

 Kyungsoo smiled at the snort Jongin gave, looking away from him and drying his eyes.

 “And that I was really thankful that I was able to see you one last time,” Kyungsoo added in a whisper, suddenly not caring that maybe he was exposing too much, maybe he was being stupid. But he had survived a nearly successful attempt at his life, and that led him to realize that it was far too short not to tell Jongin about his almost-last thoughts. “Really, I would never have expected to get to know a real life Pharaoh, or to get to know what a kind-hearted and fair leader and person he is. I was thankful for all of my impossible wishes coming through, even if they might have ended up being so short.”

 There was so much more that Kyungsoo could say, but he knew he had said enough. He was risking it all, laying his soul bare, and he needed at least some protection. He had to hold on to at least some things yet.

 The Pharaoh was watching him quietly, brow furrowed and lips slightly pursed. Sadness was swirling in his dark eyes, and he looked as if he was fighting an inner war.

 “Maybe you should have tried to make sure you would actually be able to tell me that, then?” he whispered, before he sighed and covered his face with his hands. “Forgive me, I know you are not to blame, but I just… The thought of you disappearing so suddenly, it makes my heart ache.”

 “Do not worry, I am not going to just disappear, I survived an assassination attempt, right?” Kyungsoo said, forcing a light chuckle.

 Because that was a lie. Kyungsoo and Jongin were currently looking for a way to send Kyungsoo back home, and that meant that Kyungsoo would disappear one day. And it might even result in Kyungsoo disappearing without a goodbye, like he had already done once… But that thought made Kyungsoo’s throat close up, so he quickly pushed it aside.

 “What happened to, hm, the princess?” Kyungsoo mumbled, desperate to change the subject to more safe grounds.

 But he quickly regretted it as the Pharaoh looked up at him with eyes so dark they seemed black, jaw clenched hard yet again.

 “She is in the same room you were thrown into when you first arrived… It is clear what needs to be done, but I have been… I have been spending most of my free time in here, and might have slacked off a bit on my duties as judge. It is surprisingly hard to sentence your only living relative to death.”

 Kyungsoo felt as if his eyes would pop out of his head from how wide he was opening them in shock. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, unable to formulate thoughts, and far from words. But Jongin seemed to understand anyway.

 “Do you find me harsh? Brutal? She is my cousin, my betrothed, but what she did was wrong. You are here as my guest, and that should be respected, since my word as Pharaoh stand the highest. And you are also my friend, and has done nothing to elicit such a response out of her, you have tried keeping away from her! If I did not doubt her intentions, I would send her away, banish her, but I fear she will return and try to finish what she has started… I cannot allow that.”

 “But a death sentence… Is that not a bit too much?” Kyungsoo asked, voice low, as he tried to wrap his head around Jongin’s words.

 Did Taemin deserve to die because she had nearly killed Kyungsoo? Was that really fair?

 “I have thought of every other option, consulted my advisors, but it is the only way,” Jongin said, suddenly sounding so tired. “I do not hold her above trying to get back at you, and maybe even me, if I let her live, and I know she would rather die than become a slave… Surprisingly adamant in her opinions, even when they might not be the most healthy.”

 Kyungsoo sank down a little bit further on his bed as his head was spinning, barely able to believe this. He wanted to argue against Jongin, but it was obvious the Pharaoh had already thought this through, and was most probably suffering from his conclusion as well.

 “I am sorry,” was what Kyungsoo whispered in the end, the words inadequate, but the only thing he could come up with.

 The Pharaoh gave a small, sad smile as he intertwined their little fingers, letting their hands rest on the bed next to Kyungsoo’s hip. He did not say another word for the duration of his stay.

 

 When Kyungsoo was finally well enough to move, he was promptly taken from Yixing’s rooms to the Pharaoh’s.

 “What am I doing here?” Kyungsoo asked in confusion as Jongin showed him the chamber that would be his. “Is this not where your future queen will live?”

 “Yes, but I have no queen at the moment, and I cannot risk having you too far away,” the Pharaoh said, seemingly unbothered, but Kyungsoo could see the tips of his ears turning a bit red. “There could be traitors everywhere, guards bought by the princess, who might try to end you once and for all. You are the safest next to me.”

 Kyungsoo was about to argue, but had to turn his face away, busying himself with looking around the room to hide the adoring smile on his lips.

 “You do know you cannot keep me under watch at all times, right?” Kyungsoo said a little while later, fingertips running over the beautifully carved wood that made out his new bed.

 “I can try,” Jongin responded, face set in determination.

 

 Life slowly but surely got back to what it had been before the attempt at Kyungsoo’s life. He kept researching different texts and sources, trying to find a way to get back home, whilst the Pharaoh tried to rule his lands fairly - as well as keep an eye on Kyungsoo.

 They got back to their evening lessons, but it was not unusual for Jongin to fall asleep during them, leading Kyungsoo to force him to agree to carrying them out in bed, Kyungsoo situated on a chair next to it. After the Pharaoh had fallen asleep, stretched out on his side turned against Kyungsoo, soft lips just slightly parted and lines of worry finally smoothened out, making him look so much more younger and more innocent, Kyungsoo would simply sit back and watch his chest move with every breath.

 A million thoughts were always running through his brain, clogging it up and choking him. He was no longer sure he  _ wanted _ to find a way back home, and leave all of this -  _ Jongin _ \- behind. Couple that with the ever-present fear of an early demise, and Kyungsoo did not look forwards to going to bed. No matter how tired he felt whenever he crawled beneath the light linen, it would clear out as soon as his head hit the pillow, leaving him staring at the ceiling. It was so different, the city of an ancient civilization, with the lack of electricity leading it to always be near pitch black around him. Here and there, there would be candles burning, creating some light, but mostly everything was just dark. And in the dark, it was so much easier for your fears to eat you up.

 When Kyungsoo was finally able to fall asleep, it was becoming expected that he would find himself in nightmares, all of them featuring the princess. And for a long time, Kyungsoo was able to wake up before the scream managed to slip from his tongue, sheets soaked from how much he was sweating.

 But one night, Kyungsoo awoke to a cool hand on his cheek, his own hand wrapped too hard around something soft. He could still hear his own scream ring in his ears as he tore his eyes open, panic and adrenaline coursing through his body.

 Somebody was mumbling next to him, and even though Kyungsoo had been speaking Egyptian almost non-stop since he had dropped into Ancient Egypt, it still took his mind a few moments to switch back to the ancient language, his thoughts and dreams still defaulted to Korean.

 Worried eyes were all Kyungsoo could see when he glanced to the side, coupled with full lips wrapping around words - word of comfort.

 “Calm down, you are okay, she is not here,” Jongin whispered, over and over again, stroking Kyungsoo’s cheek until his breathing began to even out. “Deep breaths, deep breaths… You are safe.”

 Closing his eyes, Kyungsoo let out a shaky sigh, letting himself feel comforted by the hand on his cheek for the barest of moments, before opening his eyes and sitting up. The Pharaoh dropped his hand from Kyungsoo’s cheek, but did not move away, and Kyungsoo realized he had been crushing Jongin’s hand in his grip.

 “Ah, I am sorry,” Kyungsoo mumbled, averting his eyes from Jongin’s face in shame as he let go of the hand, watching as Jongin slowly stretched his fingers.

 “How long have you been having these nightmares?” the Pharaoh finally asked, after a few minutes of rather awkward silence. “Since the attempt?”

 Not able to separate his lips to speak, Kyungsoo hummed and nodded, dropping his eyes to his hands in his lap. This was not something Jongin needed to know, it would just add another worry to the Pharaoh’s already heavy burden. Kyungsoo knew that, because Jongin was too kind-hearted, and already blaming himself for the scars now decorating Kyungsoo’s abdomen and neck.

 “Do you… Do you get them every night?” the Pharaoh continued, voice so much softer now, like pure velvet. “I thought I heard you, at other times, but you always seemed fine the day after… Are you keeping it from me because you worry  _ I _ will worry too much?”

 Kyungsoo gave a tight-lipped smile at that, still not saying anything, still a bit caught up in the aftershock of his nightmare, and the way the Pharaoh was sitting so close to him, only a thin layer of clothing hanging so low on his hips. The fashion of Ancient Egypt really was testing his sanity…

 “Kyungsoo, I…,” Jongin began, before there was a pause. Kyungsoo glanced up to see the Pharaoh sigh in exasperation, shaking his head. “Please tell me when you suffer. How am I supposed to help if you do not tell me? I am your friend, right? And friends help each other.”

 “They are nightmares, they are not something you can wage a war against, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo said. “They are something  _ I _ have to deal with, and something that should go away with time. It was a very traumatic experience, after all.”

 The Pharaoh looked very miffed at the idea of not being able to somehow fight the nightmares, and Kyungsoo found it rather adorable.

 “Can you at least tell me what you dream of?” Jongin asked, a bit exasperated. When Kyungsoo frowned at him in confusion, he gave a small sigh, eyes dropping to his lap. “My mother always asked me what I dreamt off whenever I had a nightmare. She said it would help me not dream of it again if I talked about it. Faced my fears when I was awake, so I did not have to do so when I was asleep.”

 Kyungsoo had never really thought much about Jongin’s family - with the exception of Jongin’s cousin, of course - and his curiousness was piqued by Jongin’s words.

 “Is your mother still alive?” Kyungsoo carefully asked, but the Pharaoh tutted and shook his head.

 “I asked a question first! Tell me your dreams, and I will tell you about my mother,” Jongin bargained, and Kyungsoo bit down on his lower lip as he thought about it.

 After all, Kyungsoo knew that it could be very beneficial to talk about his nightmares, because Jongin was right, and he did want to know more about Jongin’s mother… Maybe this could be a win-win situation?

 Taking a deep breath, Kyungsoo began to play with his fingers, focusing on them as he recalled the dream as lightly as he could, trying to stay indifferent to it.

 “It is almost always the same… Your cousin is there, hurting me again. Most of the time, she uses the dagger, but sometimes it is something else. Most of the time she goes for my stomach and my neck, but it has also been her cutting off my arms, legs, fingers…”

 Kyungsoo gave a shudder as the different scenarios came flooding back, before continuing on.

 “It is always her hurting me, and recently, it has changed from what really happened, to her showing up here, by my bed, covering my mouth with her hand as she carves me up… And this time, you are not there to save me. You are close, lying asleep in your own bed, but you cannot hear me, and you are not waking up to save me in time.”

 The images were so vivid in Kyungsoo’s mind, and he knew it was only because of his mind having ample inspirations to draw from and therefore being able to make these dreams up, but it was still horrible. And even though he knew, in the dreams, that that was all it was, it did not change a thing.

 It did not change the panic that would envelop him. It did not change the fear that made him drown. It just made it all slightly more unbearable as he lied paralyzed, feeling as if he was dying, hoping and wishing he would soon wake up.

 “I know I can tell you that will never happen. I can tell you that there are guards around, always alert and making sure nothing will ever happen to you. But she did get to you when you were supposed to be safe,” the Pharaoh said in a low tone, sounding so tired and sad that Kyungsoo wanted to reach out. “I cannot promise you will never have to go through something like that again, because life is unpredictable, but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to try to stop that from ever happening. I am always close, and I  _ will _ always be close, and I am a very light sleeper…”

 It managed to make Kyungsoo smile, and Jongin mirrored the smile as he took hold of Kyungsoo’s hand and squeezed it lightly.

 “I can fall asleep whenever and wherever, but I promise I will wake up if you are ever in danger,” the Pharaoh said, and the intensity of his words burned Kyungsoo. “That was what happened that day - I got this…  _ Need _ to see you, talk to you, make sure you were alright… That was why I went looking for you, and that was why I was able to save you. I wish the gods would have forced me to find you sooner, but… I guess they work in mysterious ways.”

 “You really believe the gods made you come find me?” Kyungsoo said, disbelief and amusement clear in his voice.

 Jongin wrinkled his nose as he stood up and tugged on Kyungsoo’s hand to make him follow.

 “I know you are not a believer, dear scholar, but yes, I believe so. What other explanation do you have for it?”

 Kyungsoo just shrugged, not wanting to bicker, and much more interested in what they were doing. Because suddenly, they were standing by the Pharaoh's bed.

 Seemingly noticing Kyungsoo’s look, Jongin motioned towards the side they were standing on.

 “You may sleep in my bed tonight,” he said, making it sound as if it was a great honor. And Kyungsoo supposed it was, but he also heard the joking undertones. “It might help with the nightmares, and you need the rest. You have been losing weight, and you have bags under your eyes. You cannot fight your inner demons unless you are properly rested for it, so whenever you are having bad dreams, you have my permission to sleep in my bed.”

 The Pharaoh’s bed was huge, so unless they both ended up rolling towards each other, it was highly unlikely that they would actually touch during the night. But Kyungsoo still felt a bit nervous about sharing.

 “I… I do not know what to say... Thank you, Your Highness. That is extremely kind of you,” Kyungsoo said, looking up at the softly smiling Jongin.

 “I gave you my word that I would help and protect you, and that is what I am doing,” Jongin said, before gently nudging Kyungsoo, and then moving around to the other side of the bed. “Let us go to sleep, it is late.”

 They both slipped into the bed, lying on their own sides, far from each other but closer than normal. And even though Kyungsoo’s heart was beating a little too fast, he was still feeling oddly reassured by the fact that Jongin was there, basically in reach, if he needed him.

 “Goodnight, Kyungsoo.”

 “Goodnight... Jongin.”

 

*  


 

 Kyungsoo had never realized just how heavy it was to actually wear all of the jewelry. You could try to appreciate it, but unless you actually tried it, there was no way of really knowing, and Kyungsoo had not been prepared. Not even close to it.

 His shoulders were already aching from the heavy collar draped over them, and it had only been about twenty minutes so far. Add to that standing out in the scorching sun, and Kyungsoo felt his mood dampen with every minute ticking past. The fabrics hanging over his head, strung between poles, did not do much to help with the heat, but at least it was something.

 But it was not the jewelry, nor the heat, that bothered Kyungsoo the most. No, it was the fact that he was at the moment standing in front of the gathered citizens as Jongin was giving a speech. A speech directly related to Kyungsoo himself.

 After much consideration, the Pharaoh had decided that the best way to keep Kyungsoo safe for the duration of his stay in Ancient Egypt, it would be best to play on the fact that Kyungsoo had literally dropped out of the sky. Jongin was still not entirely convinced that Kyungsoo was not at least a half-god, and was sure that Kyungsoo had at least traveled through time with the help of the gods, and so he quite easily came to this conclusion.

 Kyungsoo, on the other hand, had not been too convinced about it when Jongin told him and asked for his input. He felt a bit uncomfortable about lying to the entire nation, especially considering how much of their lives that they let their religion control. It just did not sit right with Kyungsoo to use religion as a way to manipulate people into fearing him enough to not try to harm him.

 But Jongin had been very persuading, as well as added the argument that people were wondering where he came from, and the easiest way to explain it to them was ‘through the gods’. And Kyungsoo really could not argue against that in a good way, since he himself still had no idea how he had managed to travel three thousand years through time. So in the end, Kyungsoo gave in, and allowed Jongin to tell his people that he was basically a god.

 Not that Kyungsoo really could or could not allow Jongin to do  _ anything _ , since Jongin was the Pharaoh. But Jongin did seem to value Kyungsoo’s opinions on matters, and Kyungsoo was especially grateful that Jongin valued his opinion on things directly related to Kyungsoo himself.

 So now, here they were, basically lying to Jongin’s people to keep Kyungsoo safe. And Kyungsoo was not feeling happy about it.

 “I know there has been rumors of a horrible act happening in my palace, something that took place quite some time ago. And today, I am standing here to address that act. It is true. Princess Taemin tried to murder a guest under my roof.”

 Even if they were standing raised from the gathered people, Kyungsoo could still hear the collective gasp and soft mumblings rising from the masses. An uncomfortable and restless feeling settled over them all, making Kyungsoo’s fingers twitch from the need to fiddle with something to try to ease the tension for at least himself.

 “A guest that I have come to learn is of great importance. This guest,” Jongin spoke, motioning for Kyungsoo, “is a guest sent from the gods.”

 There had already been several pairs of curious eyes on Kyungsoo, but now they were all staring at him, and he tried to keep as still as possible, as emotionless as possible, even though he wanted to hide from the gazes burning into him.

 “She slashed his gut and slit his throat, yet he still stands here before you. He can speak foreign languages from coming times. He has knowledge on things that does not yet exist. This, along with my word, should be enough proof for you. This man, this  _ honored guest _ , was sent to us from the gods, and princess Taemin dared to raise her hand against him. To pay for her crimes, she has been imprisoned, and sentenced to death by my power as Pharaoh. I will not tolerate  _ anybody _ disrespecting the gods, nor me!”

 Jongin’s voice rang out clear, and for the first time since Kyungsoo met him, he could honestly see how powerful the man was, and how well-fitted he was as the leader. He had been raised for the position, but there was also a natural aura radiating off of him, and aura that said that Jongin was not somebody to take lightly. No matter how adorable he could seem in private, Pharaoh Jongin was strong, commanding, and fearless. Perfect qualities for the person who was raised to god-like status by his people.

 And Kyungsoo could not help but feel amazed that he first and foremost knew Jongin as the young man with an awkward laughter, with a deadly pout, and a childish stubbornness. Kyungsoo was allowed to see sides of Jongin that very few others had, and that made Kyungsoo feel  _ special _ . And as he gushed, he realized that he had probably fallen deeper for the Pharaoh than he had realized, or wanted to admit.

 But it was not that hard, really, considering how charming Jongin was. It was not hard to fall for the Pharaoh, and Kyungsoo had probably realized this a long time ago.

 The crowd had quieted down by now, hushed by Jongin’s speech. But an intense and almost choking silence settled as the princess was being led outside, hands bound in front of her, transported by a guard on either side. Her head was held high, hair combed and braided, and her robes were clean, though more simple than the ones she would normally wear.

 “Beheading will be her punishment,” Jongin said, watching princess Taemin being led down the stairs towards the place of her death. “Let this serve as a warning to you all. Do not conspire against the gods, because they will not be lenient.”

 The princess had kept her gaze straight ahead, but as Jongin spoke of the gods, she glanced over at Kyungsoo. Her eyes were filled with ice that pierced through Kyungsoo’s skin, chilling him to the bone and making him shiver even in the immense heat. Then she turned forwards again and continued on her way, leaving the heat to invade Kyungsoo, making his lungs feel as if they were being squeezed shut.

 He had never wanted this to happen. He had never wished for any of this. He had just woken up in Ancient Egypt after having spent his life obsessing over the time period, and he had thought that this would be an amazing adventure - but he had never wanted this. Kyungsoo wanted the beauty of it, but not the harsh reality of Ancient Egypt.

 Kyungsoo felt nausea rise in his throat, making him clamp his lips shut, jaw tense. He forced himself to watch until the princess was out of sight, because that was the least he could do. At least he could honor her enough by watching her final stroll down the courtyard and across the marketplace. And Kyungsoo had to admit that the princess was radiating more regality than he thought anyone could during such circumstances. She should be proud of herself, and if there were any gods waiting for her, he hoped they would not find her heart too heavy.

 The people gathered in front of the palace quickly dispersed; many following the princess, a few going other places. The Pharaoh gave a weary sigh, eyes still trained on the spot where they had lost sight of her, before turning and motioning for Kyungsoo that they were going back inside. Royalty did not stay to watch the execution, that was below their status.

 Kyungsoo’s palms were clammy as he followed Jongin, the Pharaoh dismissing the guards as soon as he entered the palace ground, and they headed towards their quarters. Barely a soul was around, and Kyungsoo was happy, because he knew by the way his head was pounding and the way his mouth was salivating, that something was about to happen.

 And sure enough, as they got into the small courtyard leading to the entrance of the Pharaoh’s quarters, Kyungsoo had to rush over to one of the bushes, puking his guts out. His throat was aching and his eyes were stinging with tears as his stomach continued to convulse, giving him no respite.

 All of a sudden, there was a hand on his back, and a voice by his ear.

 “Try to breathe, calm down,” the Pharaoh mumbled, and Kyungsoo felt so much worse.

 Jongin had sent his own cousin to her death, yet it was Kyungsoo who was standing and throwing up in the bushes, tears gushing down his face and mixing with the stomach acid, because he had nothing more to puke up now.

 Exhausted and disgusted, Kyungsoo dry-heaved some more, before finally being able to relax and calm down, his heart beating a thousand miles an hour. When it seemed like he was not going to start puking anymore, Jongin led him inside and over to the bowl filled with water, letting him rinse his face and mouth. A servant appeared and took the dirtied water away, before pouring some more, and Kyungsoo rinsed a second time, before drying his face.

 With a soft yet sad smile, the Pharaoh gently pushed Kyungsoo’s hair out of his face, eyes worried.

 “You should rest some… I am sorry you had to go through that.”

 But Kyungsoo did not move. He just stood there, staring into Jongin’s eyes as Jongin stared back.

 “I am sorry,” was what Kyungsoo finally breathed out, his emotions a mess inside of him. “Because of me… I am so sorry.”

 The Pharaoh’s eyes softened, as his hand cupped Kyungsoo’s cheek, thumb caressing the cheekbone.

 “It is not your fault… She made her choice when she raised the blade against you, and this was the only thing I could do,” Jongin whispered, shaking his head. “You were only the trigger, what made her turn against me, but it could have been anything.  _ Anything _ . Forgive me for not seeing the signs earlier, maybe… Maybe I could have prevented it somehow. I always joked about her being too protective of me and the throne, to the point of not knowing which of us she held the most dear, but I got my answer now.”

 Kyungsoo frowned over the words, Jongin’s hand moving from his cheek to his hand, and then Kyungsoo was tugged over towards the large bed.

 “What do you mean?”

 “If my cousin had cared more about me than the throne, then she would never have raised her hand against you,” the Pharaoh said, before gently pushing Kyungsoo down onto the bed. “Try to rest some. It has been a tough day…”

 Jongin was right, it had been a rough day, and exhausted, Kyungsoo lied down. But he caught Jongin’s hand as the other was about to leave, closing his eyes when the Pharaoh looked down at him in surprise and confusion.

 “Can you stay? You keep the nightmares away…,” Kyungsoo said, feeling awful for requesting it, but at the same time so relieved when the bed dipped in indication of Jongin sitting down on it. “Thank you.”

 “I told you I would find a way to help, and apparently I did,” the Pharaoh hummed in amusement as he intertwined their fingers, and Kyungsoo gave a snort - but he was still smiling.

 

 After that day, Kyungsoo was asked to join Jongin in whatever obligations the Pharaoh had for the day. Having spent a third of his life researching the lives of people in Ancient Egypt, Kyungsoo could quite easily get into it all, but there was still a lot he was new to. After all, he had only had three thousand years old documents and scripts to base his knowledge on, and that was only enough to get a broad overview of it all, not a detailed one.

 At first, everyone seemed a bit hesitant around Kyungsoo, but as time went past, they began to relax - Kyungsoo included. He went from silently watching everything, feeling rather awkward, to every now and then voicing his opinion.

 Behind closed doors, Kyungsoo and Jongin kept trying to look for a way to send Kyungsoo back to the future, as well as teaching Jongin how to speak and write English and Korean. The Pharaoh had an easier time with Korean, and Kyungsoo guessed it had to do with hieroglyphs and hangul both being images in a way, whilst English used a whole other new concept of an alphabet.

 Every now and then, Kyungsoo would tell Jongin about things that would happen later in the world. He would also try to draw maps of the world, showing Jongin different lands that the Pharaoh had no idea existed - or would exist.

 And in turn, Jongin told Kyungsoo about everything Kyungsoo wanted to know. All the little details and obscure things that Kyungsoo could never have answered just through archaeology, Jongin told him. Tales that were told and not written down, different rituals, beliefs… Everything Kyungsoo could ever wish to know and never had been able to know before, and even more.

 It was not unusual for the two to keep discussing things in bed, and therefore, it became rather natural for them to fall asleep in the same bed as well. Kyungsoo’s nightmare became fewer and further between, until they suddenly just stopped.

 Things became routines and habits, and time flew past, until Kyungsoo one day woke up to realize he had been in Ancient Egypt for a whole year.

 It was a slow day, and that left Kyungsoo able to spend most of his time thinking. He had started to realize a lot of things during his stay, but what was most clear to him today was that it did not seem as if he was going to make it back home to his old life. He and Jongin had both spent so much time and resources on trying to find a solution, but there was nothing, not even the slightest clue, so far.

 Feeling rather somber about this, Kyungsoo decided that he needed to make sure that Baekhyun learned what had happened to him. Just the thought of his best friend made Kyungsoo’s heart ache, because he missed him so much.

 And he could just imagine how worried Baekhyun must be, with Kyungsoo just disappearing from an inescapable room. Kyungsoo did not want to let Baekhyun suffer from the thoughts of what could have happened, so he pulled out a sheet of papyrus and a pen, and got to work.

 

 Several hours later, Jongin found Kyungsoo sitting bent over the desk in his room, still scribbling away.

 “What are you doing?” Jongin asked curiously as he watched Kyungsoo jot strange symbols down.

 Startled, Kyungsoo jerked in the chair, accidentally drawing a small line of ink across the papyrus, and Jongin immediately apologized.

 “Do not worry about it,” Kyungsoo huffed out as he tried to get his breathing back to normal, a hand pressed against his chest. “I am writing down my adventures here so far, so Baekhyun can read them. If I do not find a way to get back.”

 Something looking a lot like sadness flashed past in the Pharaoh’s eyes, but he quickly hid it behind a smile. Not quick enough for Kyungsoo to miss it though, but he did not mention it.

 “We are still looking for a way…,” Jongin slowly said, and Kyungsoo nodded, giving a small smile.

 “I know. This is just in case something were to happen, or we are unable to find a way. I just want him to know what happened in that case,” Kyungsoo said, putting his pen down. “Can you make sure these are taken care of if something happens? Make sure that they will reach him?”

 “Of course, I promise,” Jongin said, and his smile turned a bit more happy.

 “Thank you,” Kyungsoo said, deeply grateful. After all, the Pharaoh had no obligation to help him, especially not after how much he had already done for Kyungsoo.

 Jongin sat down in the chair next to Kyungsoo, shaking his head.

 “You do not have to thank me, it is the least I can do,” he said, and Kyungsoo frowned a little. “Anyhow! It has now been a year since you arrived, yes? My advisors suggest that we create a celebration for you today, as the day when one of the gods blessed us by coming here.”

 Kyungsoo choked on air as his eyes almost popped out of his head from how wide they were opened, not believing his ears.

 “Yes, that is about the reaction I was expecting from you…,” the Pharaoh mumbled as he smiled awkwardly at Kyungsoo, rubbing his back to try to help him regain his breath. “But I think they are right. You are seen as a deity, and it would be rather strange to not give you your own day for celebration!”

 “I am seen as a deity because you thought it would be the best way to keep me safe! But now I need to be celebrated as well?!” Kyungsoo almost screeched when he finally was able to speak again. “Why do you not just go ahead with putting me on one of the pillars, Jongin, for everyone to see-”

 Laughing his loud, silly laugh, the one that was almost never heard in public and almost always in private, the Pharaoh put his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders, massaging them lightly as he gently shook Kyungsoo.

 “Calm down, calm down! It will not be something big, just to commemorate your arrival! It is a rather natural thing, and I will not put you on one of the pillars for everyone to see,” Jongin said, grinning so widely with eyes sparkling. “If I could keep you completely to myself, I would, but unfortunately I cannot be that selfish… So the next best thing is giving you your own day.”

 “You cannot just give me a day just like that, Jongin!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat up. What was this? He was a grown-up thirty year old man, not a hormone-crazed teenager!

 The Pharaoh changed tactics, releasing Kyungsoo and putting his hands in his lap instead, leaning back a little.

 “But you deserve to be celebrated. It is not only to keep up the facade that I am suggesting this, but also because I truly believe you do,” Jongin said, sincerity almost burning through Kyungsoo. “You have shown me so much through our time together, and it has not all been good, but everything has been necessary. Not only that, but you have given me things I never knew I needed nor wanted, like a confidant, a teacher… And so much more.”

 Having put down his pen, Kyungsoo was leaned back in his chair, listening with bated breath to Jongin’s every word. It felt as if there was something deeper behind it all, but Kyungsoo did not allow himself to dare hope.

 Hope was a very dangerous thing, after all.

 Rather bashfully, the Pharaoh looked down at his hands in his lap, a small smile playing on his lips, a faint red on the tip of his ears, and Kyungsoo could not help but internally coo at the sight. Jongin really could be adorable at times.

 “I did not mean to bring this up like this, but in some way, I feel like this might be the right moment after all… Forgive me if I completely butcher this, but…  _ Saranghae _ .”

 Kyungsoo was pretty sure he stopped breathing at the unexpected word - the unexpected  _ Korean _ word. He was also pretty sure that this was all a dream, and contemplated pinching himself to check.

 But as Jongin looked up at him, nervousness clear in the way he was fidgeting, Kyungsoo let himself hope that this was real life.

 “Did I say it right?” Jongin whispered, and Kyungsoo realized he had not said anything for quite some time.

 “Yes. Yes, you did. It sounded natural, as if your mother tongue is Korean, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo said, feeling that his voice was a bit hoarse. “I am sorry, you took me by surprise… I do not know what to say.”

 “How about giving me an answer?” Jongin asked, smiling, but it was with an anxious edge to it.

 “I think I already confessed to you when I was still recovering from the assassination attempt, Jongin,” Kyungsoo slowly said, unable to hold a smile back.

 Because Kyungsoo realized that yes, this was really happening, he was not dreaming. And he had never expected anything like this would happen. Just the fact that he had somehow ended up in Ancient Egypt was already so unbelievable, and then not only befriending a Pharaoh, but falling in love with him and having the Pharaoh fall in love back as well?

 Completely and utterly insane.

 Reaching out, Jongin took a hold of one of Kyungsoo’s hands, playing with his fingers, and Kyungsoo could feel that he was trembling slightly. Had he been that nervous? Or was he just so relieved? Or maybe was it a little bit of both, anxiety finally releasing?

 “You told me you were thankful for getting to know me, and yes, you used very nice words to describe me, but it could easily be taken as platonic feelings,” Jongin mumbled, looking up at Kyungsoo with a vulnerability that tugged at Kyungsoo’s heartstrings.

 In a moment of bravery, Kyungsoo reached out with his free hand to cup Jongin’s cheek, leaning closer until he could almost feel the Pharaoh’s breath on his face.

 “In that moment, when I thought I was about to die, just before I opened my eyes to see you stand there, I realized that I had fallen for you. Truly, madly, deeply,” Kyungsoo said in a low voice, making sure to put as much of his feelings as possible into every word. “I had denied it to myself for a long time, but in that moment, I knew, and did not want to deny it anymore. I should have told you afterwards, but so many things happened, and it did not feel right to bring it up… And I am quite cowardly.”

 Smiling so brightly that Kyungsoo was sure he would go blind, Jongin placed a hand over Kyungsoo’s cupping his cheek, and leaned against it.

 “I would never call you cowardly, you have been through so much, yet taken it all so well,” Jongin said, a small wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows, and Kyungsoo wondered if he thought about everything that happened. “You are so strong, and I admire it so much. I just hope I can help you, and give you a place to rest whenever it gets too much.”

 “You already have, Your Highness,” Kyungsoo answered truthfully. “Several times.”

 Jongin pursed his lips into an almost-pout, moving his hands to cup both of Kyungsoo’s cheeks.

 “Really, there is no need to call me by my titles, Kyungsoo… There is no need for the politeness, you are different from everyone else, so do my this favor?”

 “But Your Highness, you are the ruler of this kingdom, seen as a god, of course I have to continue with your titles!” Kyungsoo exclaimed in faked shock, and it had Jongin chuckling.

 “And you are seen as a god as well by my people, probably even higher in rank than myself, so please be comfortable with me,” Jongin pleaded, and Kyungsoo really could not say no to him. And it was not as if Kyungsoo was not already calling Jongin by his name.

 “Well, I am older than you, Jongin, so I guess it is alright,” Kyungsoo conceded, earning himself another bright smile, and a soft kiss.

 

*  


 

 “So there really is no wedding ceremony?” Kyungsoo asked, looking out at the sea of people celebrating around them. “We have always been a bit confused about that… There is nothing really to bind you together, it is just… There?”

 “Well, you already live in my home, in my quarters even, so we are basically already married,” Jongin said, grinning in his oh so charming way. “We have been married for over a year, my dear scholar! But what kind of ceremony do you have in your time?”

 “Depends on your religion and society,” Kyungsoo answered, smiling at Jongin’s little joke as his fingers trailed across the new collar adorning Jongin’s neck and chest. It was a nice piece - perfectly matching the one he himself was wearing. “In my time, we would most probably have a priest bless us and our marriage, exchange a few words, and then we would seal it with a kiss.”

 “And then a celebration?” Jongin questioned, looking around at the festivities around them, and Kyungsoo grinned.

 “Of course. Even three thousand years into the future, humanity still loves a good celebration,” Kyungsoo said, allowing Jongin to take his hand and drag him towards the edge of the stairs leading up to the entrance of the palace, outside of which they had been walking, looking around.

 “Then we will combine a little bit of mine, and a little bit of yours,” Jongin softly said, letting go of Kyungsoo’s hand to wrap his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist instead. “You already have my heart, you already live with me, and I will give you my eternity if you want it. Because never will I tire of seeing the diamonds of the sky sparkle in your eyes,  _ jagi _ .”

 Kyungsoo felt as if his heart was about to explode, filled to the brim and overflowing with so many emotions he never thought he would be able to feel. He was so incredibly happy, and he knew he had been incredibly lucky.

 “Call it fate or whatever you want, but I was sent here for a reason, and I believe the reason is you, Jongin,” Kyungsoo said, his voice sounding a bit wet as he tried to talk past the lump in his throat, feeling the tears pricking his eyes. “And when did you even learn ‘ _ jagi _ ’?”

 Instead of answering, Jongin grinned, and leaned down to press his lips against Kyungsoo’s, a sweet kiss to seal their holy matrimony. Because Kyungsoo believed that their meeting and falling in love - and happily ever after - was blessed by whatever gods were responsible for his transportation back in time.


	4. Epilogue - The Present

 Baekhyun was sitting on the floor next to the shaft leading down into the burial chamber, listening to Kyungsoo as the other took a look around, feeling both worried and a bit annoyed. Kyungsoo had fallen quite a bit, and they should probably try to get him out of there as quickly as possible, but of course Kyungsoo was his normal stubborn self. He just  _ had _ to take a look, even though he might be sporting cracked ribs that could penetrate his lungs and make him die…

 Sometimes, Baekhyun wished that Kyungsoo had never found that stupid amulet, no matter what an interesting piece of trinket it was. If he had not found it all of those years ago, then maybe Kyungsoo would not be below right now, risking his life like this…

 Suddenly, there was a scream of pain, and Baekhyun knew it was Kyungsoo. Calling out for the other, Baekhyun scrambled to get onto his stomach and trying to peer into the darkness through the shaft, but there was no way he could see anything from up here.

 “Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo! Are you okay?” Baekhyun yelled down the shaft, but it was so eerily quiet all of a sudden, and Baekhyun felt as if something was missing. “Chanyeol!”

 The taller came rushing, worry and confusion in his eyes, as he held a satellite phone pressed against his ear.

 “What, what’s happening, what’s wrong?” Chanyeol rushed out, pressing his palm against the microphone of the phone.

 “I don’t know, Kyungsoo screamed, and then everything went quiet,” Baekhyun said, dragging a hand through his hair as he tried to take deep breaths, panic rising inside of him. “We need to get down to him, fast!”

 “They’ve sent a unit, but we have to wait for them to arrive,” Chanyeol said, switching from worried to calm as he knelt down next to Baekhyun, rubbing his back. “It will take some time, but that’s all we can do. Try to call for him and see if he answers, he might have fainted from pain or something like that.”

 Nodding, Baekhyun quickly wiped the few tears that had escaped away, lying down next to the shaft again and looking down, wishing he could see something, anything.

 

 It took an hour and a half for rescue to arrive. After having secured a rope and sent a person down to make sure it was alright to go down, Baekhyun was allowed to descend as well.

 It did not take long to establish that somehow, Kyungsoo was no longer there. He had literally disappeared into thin air, and only the disturbed dust and the bag of dropped lightsticks were indications of him having been down there at all.

 A search party was deployed to look around the area, even though they all knew that Kyungsoo had not been able to surface in any other way than through the shaft that he had fallen through. They came up empty-handed, just as expected.

 In shock over what had transpired, Baekhyun spent most of his time in the mastaba, continuing the excavation and uncovering. He felt strangely close to Kyungsoo there, and he knew it was what Kyungsoo would have been doing if he had still been there. And Baekhyun was not going to let Kyungsoo’s hard work go to waste.

 That was how, one day, Baekhyun found the papyrus scrolls. Hidden away in the best place to keep them safe and able to survive almost whatever, it took Baekhyun a few days to find them. And he could barely believe his eyes when he was able to open them and take a look at them.

 “That’s… Not hieroglyphs?” Chanyeol asked in confusion as he watched Baekhyun unroll one of the scrolls, only to promptly drop his jaw and stare. “Those look like words? But with strange letters?”

 “It’s because it’s a made-up language,” Baekhyun finally said, voice barely above a shaky breath. “Me and Kyungsoo made it years ago, when we were students, so that we could share secrets between us and because it was cool…”

 Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun as if he had gone insane, and Baekhyun was honestly suspecting he had.

 “What is yours and the Prof’s made-up language doing in a burial chamber from three thousand years ago?” Chanyeol asked, voice heavy with scepticism.

 “How am I supposed to know?” Baekhyun shot back, scowling lightly at the younger. “What can I say, it’s impossible for somebody to have came up with this back then, since it’s partially inspired by Quenya, which is what the Elves speak in Tolkien’s books…”

 Chanyeol shot Baekhyun another look, to which Baekhyun just shrugged.

 “Their society is cool, and the books are as well.”

 “I’m not judging.”

 “You so are. Now, shut up and let me translate.”

 Taking a deep breath and trying to remember the language he had not used in a long time, Baekhyun focused on the parchment in front of him.

_ “Dear Baekhyun… You’re surprised, aren’t you? I knew this would probably be the best way to get you to believe everything you are about to read, as well as keeping it for your eyes only. I know the tomb will probably stay sealed until you - well, we - come along, but just to make sure. It’s hard, though, writing in this language. I didn’t use it that much in your present, and in my present, it has been an even longer time since. Can you even translate it properly? I hope so, haha!” _

 Baekhyun noticed that his hands were shaking slightly, and that Chanyeol was staring holes into his skull, but he ignored it as he continued to read out loud.

_ “I’m guessing it has been some time since I disappeared from you. Maybe a few days, at least? To me, it has been a year. When I looked through the burial chamber and touched the sarcophagus, I was transported back in time. Three thousand years, give and take some, to be exact. Back to the era ruled by the Pharaoh resting in the mastaba. Crazy, right? I actually thought you were playing a trick on me when I woke up, hands bound, at the feet of a man speaking Egyptian. I quickly realized this was not the case, though, and had to accept the fact that I had actually popped into the time I had spent so much of my life researching. A lot has happened since - more than I thought would happen during a year of my stay - but recently, I realized that what I wanted to happen would probably never do. And so, today, on the one year anniversary of me going back in time, I decided to start a diary of sorts, telling you my biggest adventures. I hope this scroll will reach you, because here we go…” _

 

*  


 

_  “Would I have gone back if I ever got the choice? Would I leave Jongin in the past, and go back to the future, to my life? I don’t know. All I knew and loved is in your present, but I’ve come to know and love in my present as well… I’m happy I didn’t get the choice to leave or stay, because I don’t think I would have been able to choose. _

_  I regret not being able to say goodbye, and that the last thing I saw was your ugly face twisted in anger as you threw lightsticks down at me. I regret not being there when Chanyeol gets the recognition I’m sure he’ll get. Take care of him in my stead, guide him right, and even though your bedroom is probably a mess where you can uncover at least a fossil or two, that’s not what I mean. He’s a kind-hearted man in a world where that’s a weakness, and I don’t want him to be exploited for it. I regret not being able to tell my mom goodbye and that I’m doing well... _

_  Lastly, I leave it up to you to handle my possessions. You know me the best, and I know you will be fair. Don’t cry, Baek, I know we’ll see each other again. Hell, you might’ve even seen me again, considering we decided that me and Jongin will be buried together! But we will talk to each other again, because I am now sure there is an afterlife. I’m close to it, I can feel it, and I’ll wait for you. So dry those tears and live your life, so you’ll have many stories to tell me. The gods know I have many for you.” _

 Baekhyun let out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sob, gingerly putting the papyrus down so he could wipe his tears away. He was not surprised Kyungsoo knew he would cry, they had known each other a long time, after all.

 The door to his room was suddenly slammed open, and Baekhyun looked up in surprise to see Chanyeol standing in the doorway, chest heaving as if he had run. And knowing the taller, he probably had.

 “Baekhyun, you won’t beli- Hey, are you okay?” Chanyeol went from excited to worried in not even a second, quickly hurrying over to the desk. Baekhyun smiled and nodded, wiping the last of the tears away.

 “Yeah, I’m fine, I just… I translated the last bit, and it got me a bit emotional, I suppose,” Baekhyun said, clearing his throat to get rid of the roughness. “What won’t I believe? Remember there’s little I won’t believe at this moment.”

 Chanyeol nodded solemnly as he looked down at the papyrus, squinting as if he was trying to read, but giving up as he did not understand the strange letters.

 “You’ll have to tell me later,” he said in a soft voice, and Baekhyun nodded again. “It’s about the sarcophagus, actually, and I think you’ll believe a lot considering all that has happened, but what about  _ two _ bodies in it? Huh?”

 Baekhyun chuckled as he stood up and discarded his gloves, then walked around the desk.

 “I believe that. I actually already knew that, as well, I just read that Kyungsoo and Jongin decided to be buried together… I’m glad their request was honored. I’m guessing the scan is done? Can I see him?”

 Chanyeol looked quite shocked, eyes almost popping out of his head from how large they were, before he started to look a bit pale.

 “Wait… That’s the Prof, in there? Oh, god, that’s… I think I might need to puke…”

 Shaking his head with a small smile, Baekhyun used his foot to scoot the trashcan over to the taller, who was standing bent over, hands on his knees, as he tried to breathe deeply.

 “You are pretty soft-hearted, aren’t you?” Baekhyun mumbled, patting Chanyeol gently on the back. “I think Kyungsoo would be pretty miffed by you puking over his body, though.”

 

 Everything had been properly dug out and examined, the archaeological process completed, and now Kyungsoo and Jongin were set to be part of the display at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo. They were, after all, the best documentation of homosexuality in Egypt, so it was a highly anticipated exhibition.

 Having been one of the two archaeologists who uncovered this amazing site - and the only one currently alive - Baekhyun had been cited as the man who had made the discovery. Chanyeol was also credited, as the assistant, and Kyungsoo as well, posthumously. The world believed he had lost his life in the excavation, but only Baekhyun and Chanyeol knew that it was just a half-truth.

 The night before the grand reveal, Baekhyun had requested to get some time alone with “his” finds, and no one had really questioned his motives. You got attached to things like these, and what could Baekhyun earn on destroying them, anyway?

 The light was dimmed in the large room, to protect the sarcophagus and all of the relics. Slowly, Baekhyun wandered around, looking at each and every object, imagining Kyungsoo touching and using them, trying to recall the memories of his best friend is as many details as possible - before he ended up in front of the large coffin. Baekhyun had seen the two mummies several times already, but it still shocked him, sent a small pang of pain through his heart, whenever he saw them. After all, that was his  _ best friend _ , lying there, wrapped in linen and since long gone.

 And even though Baekhyun knew Kyungsoo had lived a long and happy life, it still felt as if he had been taken away too early.

 With a small sigh, Baekhyun reached into his back pocket and took out the object he had kept on his person ever since it had been established that Kyungsoo was gone in one way or the other. He knew Kyungsoo would be thankful for his thoughtfulness, but now it was time to return it to where it belonged.

 Holding the amulet of heart up to the light, Baekhyun watched it shimmer, feeling the inherent warmth of it. It was always warm, no matter where it was, and Baekhyun felt that maybe it actually did contain the essence of a heart. Jongin’s heart, that the Pharaoh had once gifted to Kyungsoo.

_ “He told me to place it where I would find it three thousand years later again. Even though I protested, not wanting to accept it for obvious reasons, he told me that it was okay. I can still remember his words, clear as if it was only yesterday. ‘Place it where you found it, so in another three thousand years, you can return to me. What need do I have of a heart if you are not beside me? I will wait for however long it takes for my heart to return, but how can I live on in the afterlife if I do not have you?’ Yes, he was silly like that, but that’s one of the many things I loved about him. I know the one I had is still in the future with you, so I ask you to take care of it, Baekhyun, because you know how important it is.” _

 Yes, Baekhyun did indeed know how important it was, and now he was here to finally bring the amulet back to its rightful owner, and give it peace. Placing the stone gently down upon Jongin’s chest, Baekhyun took a surprised step back as it began to glow, softly yet warmly, like the moon. It seemed to melt into the mummy, become one with it, before a moment of blinding light left Baekhyun gasping and blinking profusely.

 There was a feeling all around him, a feeling of relief and love, and Baekhyun knew - he just  _ knew _ \- that Jongin and Kyungsoo was finally reunited in the afterlife.

 “Wait for me, Soo, we have many stories to exchange,” Baekhyun whispered, tears springing to his eyes, as a soft breath of air caressed his cheeks - Kyungsoo thanking Baekhyun and saying not goodbye, but  _ see you later _ .


End file.
